Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003

HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORATION ACT OF 2003

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I heard the objection from my colleague on the other side, and I would like to have him respond, if he would, as to when the Senate will consider this important piece of legislation.

As I said in my remarks, I know we are dealing with an issue that is important to many States, but we have to provide some financial relief to millions of Americans as we approach the holiday season.

I know my colleague understands the current extension ends on December 31. We are all working quickly to go home. I want to know if we can get a commitment that we will go to this bill so we can provide for these workers so they can be at home paying for their food and shelter that is so important to them. Can my colleague tell me when the Senate will consider this legislation?

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.

Mr. CRAPO. Madam President, I would be glad to respond.

As the Senator from Washington knows, all of us have very critical issues that are very important to us, that we are trying to get time on this floor to consider. The way we handle that is we work with our respective leadership in scheduling these matters. I am not in a position right now to speak for either the leadership on the other side or my own leadership with regard to what kind of an agenda they intend to put forward with regard to the floor. What I do know is we have waited our time for this Healthy Forests legislation to come forward. We now have been given floor time, and we cannot relinquish it. Therefore, I will just encourage the Senator from Washington to work with her leadership and our leadership to see when the scheduling issue she wants to address can be brought forward.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I thank my colleague. I know he is not in a position to speak for his leadership at this time. I would just say to all of my colleagues on the floor, it is critical we allow time as soon as possible. We can take as short as 10 or 15 minutes to get this passed. We have thousands of constituents across the country whose benefits are going to expire. If we wrap up this session and go home without passing this bill, we are going to leave them out in the cold without the ability to put food on the table, pay their rent, pay their mortgage, pay their college tuition bills, and really make it through a very difficult time.

As we all know, the unemployment in this country has risen. We know more people today are unemployed than there were a year ago. The numbers are rising. The extension needs to be passed.

I notify my colleagues I intend to continue to come to this floor on a daily basis to try to bring up this bill until we get a commitment from the Republicans to have a vote on this extension.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.

Mrs. MURRAY. Thank you, Madam President. I yield the floor.