Cynthia Lummis

We need a clear distinction in our minds about what constitutes conservation: on-the-ground stewardship or repeated court battles.

The regulations will also likely encourage increased ESA litigation and closed-door ESA settlements between the Services and litigious groups.

These new rules could alter activities in areas newly proposed or already designated as critical habitat.

The Services are unilaterally promulgating rules that change and expand critical habitat designations without congressional input.

This committee must look at the Administration's actions on critical habitat designations because they expand the scope of the Endangered Species Act.

Okay, well, we will do that and we'll ask the staff of this subcommittee to follow up with you in hopes that we can better understand as we prepare our request to the interior environment approps committee that we understand the allocation…

We are also trying to talk vocally about the actual cost of the program.

A little bit off the oil and gas topic. Both your State and mine have overpopulations of wild horses.

With regard to the pilot office program, we were expecting a report on how that is going with regard to streamlining permitting approvals.

That sounds to me like an over-accommodation of a traditional, normal process in order to accommodate a protesting group. That sounds abnormal to me.

I just find it interesting that a traditional practice conducted in a traditional place would be changed because of a press release a couple of days in advance that protesters intend to come.

Was the information made available to you earlier that there may be protests?

Now I want to shift to oil and gas.

I want to start by visiting about the coal lease sale moratorium.

And what is taking so long?

So are you required to make those bidding sessions public?

Was it interest by bidders, or was it interest by opposition demonstrations?

Very good. Thank you.

As in several months.

I thank the gentleman for that warm tribute to a woman who selflessly provided an option that women and men can use in the event that they are terminally ill where a possible drug treatment or other type of treatment has been identified…

My former Senator, Alan Simpson, used to say: ``The cock croweth, but the hen delivereth the goods.''

I thank our colleague for her dedication and commitment to health care for Americans that will truly work for them. Speaking of which, and in recognition of a wonderful woman who is an example of the types of healthcare issues that we are…

The manner in which this Administration has treated my state is absolutely deplorable.

The policies of this Administration are absolutely geared toward killing coal, limiting oil and gas production on Federal lands, and diminishing the revenues available from those lands, which hurts my state more than any other state.

You are destroying my state's economy, and I am not exaggerating.