David Obey: “I think the Everglades are a great national treasure, and I have consistently in the past supported every effort that…”

“I think the Everglades are a great national treasure, and I have consistently in the past supported every effort that has been before us to try to help preserve the Everglades. But I think this amendment is, frankly, walking around under false pretenses today. It is advertised, for instance, in the CQ House Action Report as being an amendment to authorize $200 million to acquire land in the Florida Everglades. In fact, what it does is appropriate $200 million for that purpose. I do not mind the passage of this amendment as long as it would be subject to appropriation. But I do not see why we ought to have a special arrangement under which the Everglades, as precious as they are, will wind up receiving favorable treatment over any other natural resource in any other part of the country because they happen to wind up getting in this bill as an entitlement, as a direct appropriation, I should say, whereas other areas of the country that have environmental problems have to get in line in the regular appropriation process and compete for funds. There is absolutely no reason on the merits to do that, and I regret the fact that this amendment has not been made subject to appropriation.”