Date: 1981-11-12
Speaker: SILVIO CONTE (republican)
Chamber: H

I saw in the Smithsonian magazine the other day that Atlantic salmon are coming back In the Connecticut River. We can thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for going ahead with his abovebudget fights to put the salmon back into that river. to restore that beauty of nature to New England. Or. Mr. Speaker. we could have stopped the reforestation programn. as another example. Ten years ago this committee dedicated itself to making sure that for every tree cut a new one would be planted. .Ind we put enough money in our bill above the budget. may I say. to establish a 10year reforestation program to replace the forests thdt are burned out by fire or that are crosscut by loggers saws. To omit these funds did not make any sense to us. We went over the budget in this bill to harvest the lumber. to begin the harvest of the lumber that now lies on the slopes of Mount St. Helens that was cut down when that volcano erupted. We have taken steps to save that timber because we think It Is only good husbandry to do that so that the timber Is not destroyed by insects or by fire or by other hazards. Moreover. that timber that is cut brings receipts into the Treasury. and we thought that. yes. there will be a day when high Interest rates come dowvn -and we would need lumber in the future for a revived housing Industry. with lower prices for timber because of the increased timber cuts that our committee had approved. Mr. Speaker. let me say what else we might have done. We might have done to the Indians what so many generations of Americans had done to them for decades in the past. for almost a century. degrading them. Ignoring them. and depriving them of funding to educate their children. to protect their resources. and to provide for their health. For some strange reason. for years 0MB has refused to provide funds for schools that were unsafe and for health clinics that were so decrepit as to be nonusable. Since I have been chairman of this subcommittee. with my good friend. the gentleman from Pennsylvania. Mr. JosmnH McDADE. the ranking minority member. we have tried to meet the problems of native Americans and to remedy in some measure the wrongs that have been done to them for decades. and we decided against continuing those wrongs. For example. in this bill. as we have in earlier bills. we put money in the budget to take care of the Indian children who were 100 percent unhoused. We havc moncy here for two schools. There are extra funds in this bill to built only twvo schools. and there am3 many that should be built for the Indian children. 0MB provided no money in Its budget for any Indian schools. I could go on and on to point out places where we went over the budget to do what we thought was good for America. for the conservation programs. for instance. For energy. for example. we provide funds to make us less dependent on Sheik Yamani of Saudi Arabia and his partners In OPEC for our oil needs. Yes. we are making progress in cutting down oil consumption in this country. That is one reason we have an oil glut now. and this committees funding in past years for the Department of the InteHecr has helped toward that goal. But 0MB recommended relatively little funds In this budget for the conservation proram. and we went over the budget to try f.o keep the program built up because we can see that a barrel of oil saved Is a barrel of oil that we do not have to buy. 0: 1315 In sum. Mr. Speaker. our committee could have been as slavishly devoted to thle account books as 0MB. Important as that Is. we could have done that without exercising our legislative judgment. without taking account of the actual conditions within the areas of funding responsibility that this committee has. But we thought other things were more important. that there were higher purposes for this great. beautiful country of ours than worrying about a few less dollars when it comes to making the lives of Americans a little richer. And yes. to make their pocketbooks a little richer. too. for this bill pays Its way. This bill provides funds for the Treasury over and above the overages that are here. $17 billion in receipts. I notice In yesterdays paper. Mr. Speaker. that in his press conference the President said that he would veto any budgetbusting bill the Congress sent to him. and I suppose he is talkIng about this bill. among others. because. as I said. this bill Is $1 billion over the budget. But I say to the President: this is not a budgetbusting bill. Before he puts his pen to any veto. I would hope he would remember that this Is a moneymaking bill for the Treasury. $17 billion worth. and capable of making more. Mr. Speaker. I suggest. too. that the President remember his visits to the beautiful forest of Camp David on weekends and to his bodybuilding and soulhealing ranch in the mountains of California as he considers this bill. We hope he continues those trips because we wish him well and we want him to relax from the enormous pressures and tensions of his Job and to build himself up. But I would hope the President would remember that Camp David. which he enjoys so much. is In the Catoctin National Park and that this bill gives the people of America the same opportunity. a similar opportunity. to enjoy themselves in the national park too. with their children. to ride. or to backpack in the majesty of the mountains at Grand Teton or the Rockies. or to enjoy the clear streams in our national forests. or to bring their children to view the wonders of Yellowstone or Yosemite. Also In this bill we foster the tradition that was established by another President. a Republican President. about 100 years ago to set aside and to develop the national treasures of this Nation. our national heritage. to be enjoyed by our children and our childrens children. That is what this bill does. Can this rich. powerful. and wonderful country of ours afford to pay for this bill for the peoples national heritage? I think so. I am sure the American people think so. too. That is why I asked for your support for this bill. for your vote. because this Is a nonpartisan bill. I see the gentlewoman from New Jersey on the floor. She and I were talking about New Jersey the other day. about the Pinelands that are such an excellent coop. erative adventure between the Federal Government and the States. We put $6 million in this bili at the request of Governor Byrne of New Jersey because it is such a good idea. That Is above the budget. Again. Mrs. FENWicK and I were talking about the aquifers below the surface In Newv Jersey and how there the possibility exists of there being despoiled as a result of what is happening in the development of the State. The Geological Survey receives funds in this bill to protect that aquifer and every aquifer throughout this country. That Is why I say this is a bill you can be proud of. This is a bill you can support. because you can take pride that in voting for this bill you will vete for America thle beautiful.