David Obey: “This Congress has voted to reduce EPA enforcement by one-third. They have voted to gut an entire string of environmental…”

“This Congress has voted to reduce EPA enforcement by one-third. They have voted to gut an entire string of environmental protection programs. And then, having done that, on the appropriations bill, now they come in and say, ``Oh, by the way, I have got a special, urgent problem in my State, and so forget all of the need to cut the budgets.'' For every last one of you who voted to cut the EPA's budget, who voted to cut the Interior appropriation bill the two budgets for strengthening our environmental protection, every last one of you who voted for it will be putting yourselves in an absolutely hypocritical position if you now vote for this amendment today because you will say that in spite of everything that you did to all other regions of the country, you are going to give this problem a special deal. The American public is tried of special deals. I want to see the Everglades protected. I want to see the Great Lakes protected, I want to see our ocean shores protected, I want to see the Mississippi River cleaned up, I want to see all of our national parks protected. When you are willing to do that, come and see me. But do not ask for a special deal for one State for one group. That is not fair. It is not right. You ought to vote this down.”