Alan Simpson

Reclaiming my time, that's the standard that exists now, as I understand it. We're not changing that.

I'll guarantee there is a misunderstanding here. I yield back the balance of my time. Announcement by the Acting Chair The Acting CHAIR. The Chair would again remind all Members that they should direct their comments to the Chair, not to…

Reclaiming my time, we're not getting rid of law enforcement here. The Coast Guard will still do the safety inspections which they are statutorily authorized to do. The Park Service is not statutorily authorized to do that. They say they…

I would have to say I don't know. I don't know what the Senate is doing, what their allocation is going to be. They have not passed a budget, so they have no 302(b) over there to work with. But certainly we realize that the EPA has taken…

We don't have any problem with this amendment. This is kind of new territory in our bill, but I appreciate the gentleman from Arizona's work on this and his interest in providing quality education for our Native American brothers and…

I would say that I think the gentleman has stated the case as it is. It is an earmark, and that's a whole other story we can talk about. But I agree with what the gentlelady is trying to do here. And I will tell you that both the ranking…

I don't disagree with anything the gentleman just said. It's also important to remember that this amendment would take the caps off that have been in place since President Clinton and would undermine the Fish and Wildlife Service's budget…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Bishop had it exactly right. We all want the same thing. We want the Endangered Species Act, but we want the Endangered Species Act to work. And as you mentioned, Senator Kempthorne worked on it very…

The gentleman brings up the point I tried to make. This is a shot across the bow. All of these programs need to be reauthorized. We had to start somewhere.

Reclaiming my time, I appreciate what the gentleman is trying to do. As I said, we do have some concerns with the offsets, but I am more than willing once this bill goes to conference in whatever form, depending on the outcome of this…

I thank the gentleman for his question. The gentleman from New York has spoken to me about these concerns, and I am aware that this is a serious issue that will have an immediate impact on the State of New York and other Great Lakes…

I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Virginia will be postponed. Amendment Offered by Mr. Huelskamp

I agree with the gentleman from Missouri, and I want to be clear. I hope the Secretary of the Interior and the Fish and Wildlife Service hear us clearly when we say that it is the sense of the committee that under these acts the Secretary…

I thank the gentleman from Missouri for yielding. I am aware of this issue. This is one of those times when a law whose intent is to protect may be unintentionally causing harm.

The manager's amendment before us makes several technical and conforming changes to the bill. These are all noncontroversial changes, and they have been shared with the minority. I believe the minority is supportive of the amendment, and I…

I offer a manager's amendment, and I ask unanimous consent that it be in order to consider the amendment en bloc and at this point in the reading. The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Idaho? There was…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. I have no problem sharing with you the colloquies that we engage in.

I thank the gentleman. It is important that authorizing committees like yours be able to modernize landmark laws like the ESA--laws that were widely supported when they were passed but no longer work as Congress originally intended. No…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Yes, today's ESA is so highly contentious, political, and litigious that it has become a failure of public policy. Funding authorization for ESA programs expired nearly two decades ago, but because we…

We were elected to legislate. You cannot legislate when you are raising money day and night.

I have always believed--and I tried it in the Wyoming Legislature--in total disclosure.

I felt used when I had to go raise money. I was embarrassed. I thought it was ugly. I thought it was demeaning.

The American people just almost barfed when they heard that people could put in money in this last campaign and not tell anybody who they were.

The singular thing is the absolute total transparency, who are you, what are you into.

He has got more guts than a government mule.