David Obey: “Mr. Chairman, before we vote, I simply want to rise to remind people why so many of us will vote against this bill on…”

“Mr. Chairman, before we vote, I simply want to rise to remind people why so many of us will vote against this bill on final passage. The bill is $1.7 billion below the President's request, and $302 million below fiscal 2000. That applause says an awful lot about those folks and their values. Mr. Chairman, it is $485 million below the request for Indian affairs. It will cause major reductions in personnel for both Indian schools, hospitals, and clinics. Are the Members not clapping now? Why do they not clap at that, too? Mr. Chairman, this bill cuts land acquisition $736 million below the level which this House voted just a month ago and sent out their press releases about. It includes anti-environmental riders on the Columbia Basin plan deleted earlier by the Dicks amendment, it fails to include increases for the arts approved earlier today in the Slaughter amendment, and even if it did, even if it did, $22 million worth of good news cannot overcome $2 billion of ignored responsibilities. For the Forest Service, it is $96 million below last year; it is $100 million below last year for maintenance for parks or refuges or forests. I have to say, I know the gentleman from Ohio. I know if he had his druthers, this bill would not look like this. But the problem is that the way this House is operating under the instructions that it is operating, good people have to bring bad legislation to this floor.”