Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, title 30 of the NDAA represents a bipartisan agreement on provisions under the jurisdiction of the House Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. This agreement represents a balanced approach to public lands management. It will create thousands of new jobs, support energy and mineral production, transfer land out of Federal ownership, and protect treasured lands through the establishment of several locally-supported parks and wilderness areas. A few highlights of this agreement include: opening the world's third largest undeveloped copper resource in Arizona, boosting American energy production on Federal lands by reducing bureaucratic permit processing delays, reducing grazing permit backlogs on Federal lands, and increasing private funding of national parks. The agreement designates less than 250,000 acres of wilderness. The designations, however, protect private property and are balanced with economic development opportunities on other public lands. For example, the agreement provides for over 110,000 acres of land to be conveyed out of Federal ownership to be utilized for economic and community development. It also releases approximately 26,000 acres of current wilderness study areas. Additionally, it provides for an unprecedented study of two Montana wilderness areas, or WSAs, for oil and gas potential. Tremendous credit goes to Mr.…”