HOUSE RESOURCES COMMITTEE MARKUP

NOVEMBER 10, 1999

Reported by Charles S. Cushman
Keep Private Lands in Private Hands Coalition
PO Box 423, Battle Ground WA 98604
Phone: 360-687-2471
Fax: 360-687-2973
Email: [email protected]
http://www.landrights.org

"Those who oppose this bill are going to get run over," declared Don Young (R-AK)

"I am loathe to give the Federal government a credit card with virtually unlimited buying power. We simply can't afford the payments," said Barbara Cubin (R-WY).

Here is a summary of the Resources Committee HR-701 mark-up on November 10th.

HEROES: Congressmen Calvert, Pombo, Cubin and Chenoweth. They sat together in the middle of a table, constantly trying to find a way to win for private property rights. They carried the debate for landowners. Hill, Schaffer, and Gibbons also spoke frequently in support of private property and also sponsored amendments. It took guts for them, as junior members of the committee, to go against the chairman.

All seven of these brave people deserve a big THANK YOU for fighting the special interests that will receive millions in wasteful and dangerous pork barrel spending from this bill.

ZEROS: Congressmen Tauzin, Young, Miller and Vento controlled the meeting. They constantly fought off amendments. Chris Cannon tried to look like he was protecting his constituents while not doing so. He voted against private property rights at critical moments. 

Chairman Young joined Tauzin, Miller and Vento and the rest of the Democrats on every vote. They were very well organized and orchestrated. No Democrat voted for any amendment, and all voted YES on final passage. Don Young voted against the amendment restricting the American Heritage Rivers program even though he had filed a lawsuit against the program. And Billy Tauzin voted against an amendment to protect inholders, even though he had sponsored the very same amendment during the debate over the Desert Protection Act.

A number of amendments were offered by advocates of landowners, private property rights and Western land issues. Here are the critical four amendments plus final passage. The property rights vote is YES on each of the four amendments, and NO on final passage.

1 - Cubin amendment - no net gain in federal lands

2 - Calvert and Hill amendment - no funds from the bill can be used for condemnation

3 - Pombo amendment - no new regulations on inholders

4 - Schaffer amendment - no funds from the bill can be used for American Heritage Rivers Initiative.

5 - Final passage. NO is the Private Property Rights Vote.

*DEMOCRATS: George Miller, (D-CA), Nick J. Rahall II, (D-WV), Bruce F. Vento, (D-MN), Dale E. Kildee, (D-MI), Peter A. Defazio, (D-OR), Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, (D-AS), Neil Abercrombie, (D-HI), Solomon P. Ortiz, (D-TX), Owen B. Pickett, (D-VA), Frank Pallone, Jr., (D-NJ), Calvin M. Dooley, (D-CA), Carlos A. Romero-Barcel—, (D-P.R.), Robert A. Underwood, (D-Guam), Patrick J. Kennedy, (D-RI), Adam Smith, (D-WA), Chris John, (D-LA), Donna Christian-Christensen, (D-V.I.), Ron Kind, (D-WI), Jay Inslee, (D-WA), Grace F. Napolitano, (D-CA), Tom Udall, (D-NM), Mark Udall, (D-CO), Joseph Crowley, (D-NY), Rush Holt (D-NJ)

In the final vote count, 13 Republicans supported HR-701, 12 opposed it. Three took a walk. Double check to make sure your Member gets all the credit he or she deserves.

Analysis:

We're just in the third inning of a nine inning game. Extra innings are even possible. If the grassroots had not stood up, CARA would have passed out of committee in July by a voice vote with nobody to hold responsible. We know who our allies are.

We need to make them fight hill top to hill top. They have a huge number of hurdles to get over. We are a lot closer to winning than our opponents. But that could change if we do not do what we need to do to compete in the political process. And they have way more money.

We now know a lot more about the character of some of the Members of the Resources Committee which will serve us well down the line. You can tell who are those that show up and those that take a walk.

Don Young is well liked by everyone including this writer. Many Republicans did not want to go against their Chairman either because they like him or because the chairman has a great deal of power over the success of the careers of junior members. In this case, you had the Chairman and several senior members of the Committee who expect huge amounts of money from CARA join with Democrats and their leaders who want the money but also the land use controls and land acquisition.

The committee leadership ganged up on the junior members of the committee to mark-up HR-701. And it wasn't pretty.

The American Farm Bureau saw that protections against condemnation (eminent domain) had been stripped from the bill. The Farm Bureau made a last ditch attempt to help pass a no condemnation amendment but it was too late. Hopefully they are engaged for the long pull.

Add that to the huge amount of money invested by the environmental groups, State Fish and Wildlife agencies, Safari Club and NRA as well as land trusts, some counties, and others who stand to get a huge entitlement from HR-701 (CARA). All put on a nationwide full court press.

Big recreation outfits and commercial recreation organizations formed a coalition (www.ahrinfo.org) which put hundreds of thousands of dollars into passing CARA. They all want access to the taxpayer's wallet.

They sure will be surprised when much of the land grab does not go to recreational use, but ends up as wilderness, which means no access! And the hunters and fishermen will actually lose out in this bill, because private lands used for sportsmen will be bought up, and then hunting and fishing will be prohibited under pressure from animal rights groups!

CARA takes nearly $3 billion from the off-shore oil and gas receipts that are presently going into the treasury to pay for programs and reduce your taxes. That means Young, Miller and company must either find the $3 billion by eliminating other programs or raise your taxes by $3 billion. That means going into the Social Security Surplus, something the Republicans have pledged not to do. It remains to be seen if they will stick to their guns.

If your Congressman either voted against your interests or took a walk, you should make sure he knows that you know. Don't make threats. But pass the word in your district that when the chips are down, your Member did not get it done for his or her constituents on land acquisition, condemnation and other issues.

HEROES: Please contact and THANK these members, who voted against the land grab and supported the Fifth Amendment to the constitution. Please THANK them especially if you live in their home state:

Gallegly (CA), Doolittle (CA), Calvert (CA), Pombo (CA), Cubin (WY), Chenoweth (ID), Thornberry (TX), Hill (MT), Schaffer (CO), Gibbons (NV), Walden (OR), Simpson (ID)

HR 701 has a long way to go, and all of us need to keep on fighting!

For More Information Contact:
American Land Rights Association
Tel: 360-687-3087 - FAX: 360-687-2973

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