Political Quotes

“The Equal Access to Justice Act restrictions in this bill is necessary to avoid costly delays to domestic energy development based on the political agenda of a few groups. EAJA was established in 1980 as means for small businesses and individuals to seek judicial redress from wrongful government action. It allows for party's to seek reimbursement of attorneys' fees from the taxpayers. Payment of these fees comes directly of out agency budgets, in this case the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. EAJA was intended to allow people and small businesses with ``limited financial means'' the ability to sue the Federal Government without having to worry about the costs associated if they prevail. However, it is being abused by deep-pocketed organizations with a political agenda. For example, in 2005 the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council received nearly $200,000 dollars in taxpayer dollars after suing the Federal Government on an offshore energy project in California. The Sierra Club has annual revenue of $85 million dollars, and the Natural Resources Defense Council has annual revenue of over $100 million dollars. There is no justification for forcing the American taxpayer-- particularly those on the gulf coast--to pay the attorney's fees of political advocacy organizations that have ample funds of their own. That is not what EAJA was intended to accomplish, and restricting its use in this bill is both necessary and appropriate.…”