Date: 2000-10-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. and I thank him for his remarks on behalf of CARA. which I am very proud of. I think we did put together an incredible coalition. I also thank him for mentioning the UPARR program on urban parks and recreation. As the gentleman has said. for the last 4 years I have tried to resurrect the funding for the urban parks initiative. and in this legislation. clearly the committee has done that. The appropriation of $30 million will allow us to rehabilitate some of those recreational spaces. including sports facilities at public schools or regional centers available for all young people in this country that have fallen into disrepair for a whole host of reasons. We ought not to abandon them. We ought to reclaim them. We ought to give those children the recreational opportunities so many of us have had. I want to thank the committee for that effort to put that money into the urban parks legislation. I want to say this. that yes. we have had our differences over CARA. We have had our differences from time to time over this bill. But this committee did a remarkable job with this bill this year. What they have done in the various environmental accounts will give us an opportunity in a whole range of areas in this country. whether they are urban. suburban. or rural areas. to deal with some of the problems we are confronting in trying to hold onto agricultural land. to try to solve endangered species areas. to save the wetlands. to create the urban park space and recreational opportunities for our children. and for something that I know the gentleman from Ohio has been a very outspoken person on. and that is maintenance of the Federal effort in our national parks. We can wear these parks out if we do not take care of them with- the visitors that we have gotten. I appreciate the committee addressing this. I have had my tussles with this committee. but I have always tried to say every year that this committee has had far more demands on it than resources. that they have been able to meet the demands of the Members. I think what has been done here with $12 billion over the next 6 years. the manner in which it has been capped and fenced and reserved for resource programs is a magnificent start on that effort. We know the backlog. We know the troubles our communities face. But I think we would be remiss if we did not understand that this may be the single greatest increase for the protection of the environment in this country. certainly of the natural resources in this country. in the last 25 years. Members of Congress ought to be very proud of that. Does that mean that others and myself will not continue to fight for CARA? Of course we will. We will continue that effort. but we should not lose sight of what is happening here today with the passage of this legislation and what it means. Finally. I just want to say to a great guy. the . gentleman. from Ohio . as much as we have battled. I must say. I have never had more respect for an individual. because day in and day out he has tried to do the right thing with the limited resources that he has had available to him. He has been a tough guy. He has been kind of a tough guy on the street. He understands. I think. the Federal role. We have argued about that from time to time. I just want to say. Mr. Chairman. it has been a pleasure working with you. I am sorry that the gentlemans side chose term limits. because I think the gentlemans continued role on this committee would have been good for the country. I want to thank the gentleman from Washington and the gentleman from Wisconsin for all their effort on behalf of this particular bill. and the final result brought about on behalf of the environment in this country.