Political Quotes

“I also rise with Chairman Murkowski. This is a timing problem. This is only a timing problem. As far as Senator Lankford's amendment, I will be joining Senator Murkowski when she moves to table the amendment, simply because of the timing situation working with the House. The House has been gracious. Chairman Grijalva has been wonderful, basically sitting with us and working with us. We gave him a list of everything we agreed on after the ``Four Corners'' that Senator Cantwell and Senator Murkowski worked on before. We all sat down and went through this, and it is just a matter of timing. What I am saying to my dear friend from Oklahoma is that when I was Governor, I insisted that my State agencies account for deferred maintenance. I would not let them build anything in any State park or let them do anything in our parks unless they showed me how they were taking care of what we have already done. I understand. I am totally committed to help with working through this, but because this is putting a poison pill--not that we disagree--it is the timing and the effort in the deal that we have already made. That is the poison pill that it puts us in, and that basically sinks it because he will not take anything more back from what we have already cleared on that side. So the LCWF language in this bill has been terribly negotiated and not only in the Senate but between the Houses also.…”