| <html> |
| <body> |
| <p><strong>The Honorable Todd Tiahrt</strong></p> |
| <p><strong>Opening Statement</strong></p> |
| <p><strong>Interior & Environment Appropriations </strong></p> |
| <p><strong>FY 2008 Subcommittee Markup</strong></p> |
| <p><strong>June 11, 2008</strong></p> |
| <p>Thank you, Mr. Chairman. </p> |
| <p>I’d like to begin by congratulating Norm Dicks for the role he has played in bringing comity, collaboration, and bipartisanship to the Interior Subcommittee. While this process is not perfect, we have endeavored to work together each step of the way.</p> |
| <p>I believe the Appropriations Committee has a responsibility to lead by example. The work of our committee isn’t about Republicans or Democrats; it’s about doing what’s in the best interest of the people who send us to Washington. Our constituents expect us to roll up our sleeves, address the issues to meet their needs, and produce results. Too often, the important work of Congress is being pushed aside to pursue narrow, political interests at the expense of the greater national good. I’d like to offer two examples in our current political climate where this is true.</p> |
| <p>First, our markup today is proceeding without the House having made any progress toward approving badly needed funds for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s been 492 days since the President’s FY08 supplemental request first arrived on the Hill. Had the House majority leadership allowed the Appropriations Committee to work its will under regular order we would have funded our troops months ago.</p> |
| <p>While this Interior bill before us is important, I believe <strong><em>our troops should—and must—come first.</em></strong> Even as we meet today, the Department of Defense is issuing guidance on furloughs that are now only weeks away. It is my hope that the House will address the critical funding needs of our troops before this bill comes before the full committee next week. </p> |
| <p>Working together with the Interior Appropriations staff, Chairman Dicks and I have spent hundreds of hours producing this bill. We participated in 28 hearings involving over 200 witnesses. And, we listened to what they said. This bill reflects the give-and-take that is part of a healthy legislative process. </p> |
| <p>As recently as a few days ago, I had every intention of supporting this legislation because it is, <em>on balance</em>, a very good bill. Mr. Dicks has done his best to produce a bill free of controversial policy riders. However, the inclusion of bill language that actually undermines the goal of securing our energy independence underscores my earlier point about the pursuit of narrow, political interests at the expense of our greater national interests. </p> |
| <p>This legislation <strong><em>does nothing</em></strong> to reduce the price of gas. It <strong><em>does nothing</em></strong> to reduce our reliance upon oil from Venezuela and the Middle East. And it <strong><em>does nothing</em></strong> to promote domestic production. At a time when every family in America is paying over $4 per gallon of gas, <strong><em>this bill does nothing to ease the pain at the pump</em></strong>. It is my intent at full Committee to provide an opportunity for us to <strong><em>work together</em></strong> in a meaningful, bipartisan way to increase our supply of energy and reduce the price of gas. </p> |
| <p>Our common goal should be to dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil by developing our own abundant, reliable, domestic sources of oil and gas in an environmentally sensitive way. If we don’t take action, five- and six-dollar gas is right around the corner. My constituents—and your constituents—want solutions. We owe them no less. </p> |
| <p>I’d like to very briefly touch upon several other aspects of the bill worth noting: </p> |
| <p>First, I believe this bill is more <strong><em>balanced</em></strong> than the legislation we produced last year. Our goal should always be to develop a bill that is balanced between meeting our environmental and conservation needs and being responsible to the taxpayer. <strong><em>I am a conservative but I am </em></strong><strong><em>also</em></strong><strong><em> a conservationist.</em></strong></p> |
| <p>Secondly, I am grateful to Chairman Dicks for the needed attention paid in this bill to the critical needs of Indian Country, particularly within the realm of health care. The needs of our Native American brothers and sisters, with whom I share great affection, are enormous. I am pleased with funding specifically targeting domestic violence, law enforcement, and especially the scourge of methamphetamines and drug addiction. This effort is long overdue. </p> |
| <p>Third, we know that nearly 50 percent of the Forest Service budget is now consumed by fire fighting costs. Left unchecked, these costs will continue to create a budget nightmare. While I might have taken a different approach, I’m grateful to the Chairman for the inclusion of bill language that prevents agencies from transferring funds from non-fire related accounts to pay for fire emergencies unless and until the President submits a formal budget request for the amount of funds to be borrowed.</p> |
| <p>Again, my initial intent was to support this legislation. For the most part, it is a balanced bill worthy of support. However, the decision to include policy riders that curtail domestic energy production and further raise the price of oil and gas causes me to reserve judgment on this bill for now. We have an obligation to begin securing our own energy future. <strong><em>I believe nothing in this bill will ease the pain at the pump.</em></strong> </p> |
| <p>I’m hopeful that we can improve this legislation through the amendment process today and at full Committee next week. Working with Mr. Dicks, I’m committed to rolling up my sleeves to make this a better bill going forward.</p> |
| <p>Thank you, Mr. Chairman. </p> |
| <p>PAGE </p> |
| <p>PAGE 2</p> |
| </body> |
| </html> |
|
|
