House Proceeding 07-17-09 on Jul 17th, 2009 :: 0:02:40 to 0:09:20
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0:02:37 to 0:02:58( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: mr. hastings, or his designee, which shall be debated for 30 minutes equally divided between the proponent and an opponent. the gentleman from virginia, mr. rahall, and the gentleman from washington, mr. hastings, each will control 30 nutes.

0:02:40 to 0:09:20( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Nick J. Rahall

0:02:59 to 0:03:19( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: the house will be in order. the chair recognizes the gentleman from wt virginia. mr. rahall: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert ex-tro -- extraneous material in h.r. 1018. the speaker pro tempore:

0:03:20 to 0:03:40( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: without objection. mr. rahall: i'm pleased to bring before the house h.r. 1018, the restore our american mustangs act, which will save american taxpayers money and save tens of thousands of wild horses and but roes from slaughter. earlier this year, the bureau of land management made a truly shocking announcement. this federal agency, tasked

0:03:41 to 0:04:01( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: with managing our magnificent public lands and resources, announced future plans to destroy, i.e. slaughter, 30,000 healthy wild horses and burrows entrusted to their care by the american people. the announcement was even more stunning given that congress

0:04:02 to 0:04:22( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: enacted the wild free horse and burr rowe act in 1971 -- and burro act in 1971, declaring these were historic, living symbols of the pioneering spirit in the west and are to be considered an integral part of the natural system of o public lands, end quote. how in the world can a federal

0:04:23 to 0:04:44( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: agency be considering massive slaughter of animals that the law says they are supposed to be protecting. at my request, the government accountability office conducted a complete review of the program and documented its numerous shortcomings. the bill before us amends the 1971 act to implement the

0:04:45 to 0:05:07( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: suggestions made by g.a.o. and give the agency as many options as possible to avoid destroying these animals. most significantly, this legislation will move the agency toward increasing the acreage available to wild horses and burr ros. -- burros. when the original act in 1971,

0:05:08 to 0:05:29( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: 20% of b.l.m. was hope to the -- open to the horses. today they're only allowed on 13% of b.l.m. land. the agency has never justified the removal of horses and burros from these missing acres. is bill will require consistency in management planning with publication of standard operating procedures

0:05:30 to 0:05:51( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: for managing these animals across all our public lands. it will prior better accounting methods so the agency can be certain how many an rals are -- animals are out on the range. it will strengthen the adoption program so more horses and burr ros -- burros can go to adoptive homes and will

0:05:52 to 0:06:14( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: strengthen cooperation between individuals and nonprofits so animals may be moved to nonfederal lands. each of these will make the program more cost effective and make it more efficient. despite these improvements, opponents of this bill are going to claim today that it will be expensive to implement. their solution is to simply

0:06:15 to 0:06:36( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: pass the same narrow bill prohibiting slaughter approved in the last congress. you're going to hear that this bill goes so far that it should be called welfare for horses. that's what they will claim. this is a funny line,ut it uses high cost estimates to gloss over the fact that since

0:06:37 to 0:06:57( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: last congress, we have the benefit of a comprehensive g.a.o. report identifying many more strategies we must pursue. commissioning a good report and then ignoring its recommendations, i hardly think is a way to save money. stopping slaughter is an important step and i'm pleased

0:06:58 to 0:07:18( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: to see my friends on the other side of the aisle are supporting that. but we do need to do more. to be very clear, the pending bill, h.r. 1018, contains no direct spending. we are not -- we are not creating an entitlement for horses. so the welfare joke falls completely flat.

0:07:19 to 0:07:41( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: any increase in funding for the wild horse and burro program would be the result of appropriations, not this authorization bill. increasing the number of federal acres available to horses and burros from the current 13% of b.l.m. land back to the 20% available to them in 1971 should not cost the taxpayers anything.

0:07:42 to 0:08:02( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: it is merely a 7% management adjustment, nothing more. our friends across the aisle always claimed the b.l.m. owns too much land. now, we don't think so, but they certainly own enough to accommodate horses and burros. furthermore, the management efficiencies and other parts of

0:08:03 to 0:08:23( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: this bill will actually save money. here's what we're doing. increasing adoptions. contraception, and reducing overcrowding that will relieve the agency from having to round these animals up and care for them in long-te holding facilities, an expensive proposition. the status quo is the worst of both worlds.

0:08:24 to 0:08:46( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: it requires the b.l.m. to hold these animals in expensive long-term storage right up to the point when the money runs out and then the agency has to kill thousands of them. witness these photos. these are american wild mustangs. this was fair fate.

0:08:47 to 0:09:08( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: this was their fate. held in captivity. abused. this is not -- this is not, my friends, what america is all about. this is not what america approves. h.r. 1018 will give the agency new and better tools to avoid this outcome and will save

0:09:09 to 0:09:21( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: money in the process. at the appropriate time i will be offering a manager's amendment further clarifying that the restoration of the missing ache sers a goal rather than a legal requirement.