Colorado Wilderness Act of 2021

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman).

Mr. Speaker, this morning, I joined my Congressional Western Caucus colleagues, Representatives Chris Stewart and Yvette Herrell, to hear from community leaders in their States about the severe funding shortfalls they are now facing due to President Biden's moratorium on oil and gas leases on Federal lands.

We heard from county commissioners and education officials, including one who shared--in tears--the heartbreaking stories of students experiencing mental health challenges, who have attempted suicide due to the challenges facing our Nation's students. The last thing these communities need is to face budgetary deficiencies that threaten the support systems within our public schools. Yet, this legislation before us will contribute to those very budget shortfalls.

By further preventing responsible energy and resource production on Federal lands, we are harming our Nation's energy industry, but we are also harming our workers by destroying their jobs. We are harming our students by cutting their public school funding. We are harming our communities by slashing their State and local budget.

Mr. Speaker, you see, we are siloing off the effects of the pandemic from the actions and consequences of the Federal government regulatory mandates. The combinations of COVID-19, the Biden ban on Federal leasing, and now this massive land-grab legislation is simply going to devastate rural communities in the West.

Mr. Speaker, these consequences don't take place in a silo. They take a toll.

I can list many other concerning consequences--from harming our energy independence, restricting public access to our public lands, to increasing the poor health of our Nation's forest. But more than anything, I hope my colleagues will pause to think of the human impacts these actions will have on our neighbors, our fellow Americans, and the toll it will take after one of the most challenging years in our lifetimes.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this legislation.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source