Department of the interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment that will reaffirm Congress' support for the enforcement of grazing fees on public lands.

Grazing on public lands is a privilege, not a right, and it is critical that individual ranchers who use these lands abide by the law and pay their fair share.

My commonsense amendment simply confirms that grazing permits or leases should not be issued to anyone who does not comply with BLM regulations. My amendment does not penalize people for forgetting to repair a fence or for forgetting to make a payment once or twice.

One particular rancher, who is well known to the media, has been more than $1 million in arrears since 1993. He has ignored the executive and judicial branches of our government, expanding his herds further onto our lands without permission.

Unauthorized grazing, such as in this case, has the potential to destroy habitat for protected species and to
Rather, this amendment ensures that egregious violations of grazing regulations are not going to be allowed to happen under the taxpayers' watch, as there are American taxpayers who work every day to ensure that all of their regulations are met.

Mr. Chairman, revenues from grazing fees go toward the management, maintenance, and improvement of public rangeland. The vast majority of ranchers understands how important these efforts are and pay their fees on time, but some ranchers are outright refusing to pay their grazing fees.

One particular rancher, who is well known to the media, has been more than $1 million in arrears since 1993. He has ignored the executive and judicial branches of our government, expanding his herds further onto our lands without permission.

Unauthorized grazing, such as in this case, has the potential to destroy habitat for protected species and to damage public property. In addition, he has instigated volatile situations that has put the lives of local and Federal Government officials at risk.

Unbelievably, some in this body have actually applauded these dangerous actions. That is simply irresponsible. Mr. Chairman, I strongly suspect that, if anyone in my congressional district in Phoenix forcibly resisted paying the Federal Government more than $1 million, he or she would be in handcuffs instead of on television or meeting with potential Presidential candidates.

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Ultimately, however, this amendment is about more than one man. It is about upholding the basic principles that our laws should be applied fairly to everyone who lives in this country and uses its public lands.

Mr. Chairman, we must ensure that egregious violations of grazing regulations are not financed by the American taxpayer. To that end, I hope all Members will support this critical amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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