Patty Murray: “let me just say at this point that I appreciate the remarks of my colleague from California, Senator Boxer, about how…”

“let me just say at this point that I appreciate the remarks of my colleague from California, Senator Boxer, about how difficult this has been, to bring people together to compromise on a very difficult and serious issue. In fact, I have heard some of my colleagues on the other side say that this debate is about politics. I say, if this is just about politics, it would be simply an amendment to repeal the rider. This is not about politics. This is about policy. This is about putting in place a timber salvage rider that works, that keeps people working, that uses our timber at its highest economic value, but leaving people in the process. That is what my constituents are so angry about. They have been left out of the process by the rider that this Congress adopted last year, and they want back in. At this time I am very pleased to have printed in the Record a letter from the President, sent to me last night from Jerusalem, with his strong support of the amendment in front of us. His words should be read by all of my colleagues, but let me just read his second paragraph. It says: Judicial interpretation of the timber rider, as it has been applied to old growth forests, has broadened the Act's requirements to the point that it undermines our balanced approach to ensuring continued economic growth and reliable timber supply in concert with responsible management and protection of our natural resources for future generations.”