House Proceeding 07-17-09 on Jul 17th, 2009 :: 0:50:20 to 0:56:25
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0:50:16 to 0:50:37( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: so with that, mr. speaker, i will yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from washington yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from west virginia. mr. rahall: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. rahall: mr. speaker, as i said earlier today in debate on the rule on this legislation,

0:50:20 to 0:56:25( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Nick J. Rahall

0:50:38 to 0:51:00( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: this congress can walk and chew gum at the same time. we can address unemployment, we can address health care reform, we can address the war deficits and statement -- war, deficits and at the same time we do not need to allow the status quo continue as it affects our wild horses and burros. these are icons of america.

0:51:01 to 0:51:22( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: the american mustang. the status quo is a national disgrace. it is a disgrace to our heritage, it is a disgrace to all for which we stand. those on the other side of the aisle who want to make light of this situation, i'm sure if they were to go home, go home to their main strites and pose the request question to their constituents, doou support

0:51:23 to 0:51:44( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: your federal government slaughtering 30,000 wild horses, do you support them being held in holding pens? i suggest i know what the answer would be. is is -- the bottom line, this is the wild horse version of the wild horse version of gitmo. the pending legislation seeks to

0:51:45 to 0:52:05( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: remedy the critical aps that are taking place under the wild free roaming horses and burros act of 1971 by invoking a number of commonsense measures. the measure would promote the use of better science to determine whether the amount of range that is available to wild horses is capable of sustaining them.

0:52:06 to 0:52:27( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: this would be accomplished through maintaing a valid inventory of the wild horse population on the range and the establishment of appropriately scientifically based methodologies to determine management levels. second, the pending bill would increase the amount of range available to wild horses, including rough private lands controlled by enties seeking to establish sanction wears.

0:52:28 to 0:52:51( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: many have heard about the pickens plan. and i'm not talking about the t. boone pickens plan, the one dealing with win energy. but rather i'm talking about the one advanced by his wife, madeline pickens, to utilize private resources for the establishment of wild horse sanctuaries. the pending legislation makes it a goal, not a requirement, a

0:52:52 to 0:53:14( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: goal, not a requirement, but a goal to increase the acreage on which wild horses can roam. and by doing so we reduce the number of animals that are called from the herds and placed in holding facilities. these holding facilities which have come up during this debate, i think it's important to recognize that keeping wild horses and burros in these

0:53:15 to 0:53:35( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: holding facilities costs $21 million annually or 2/3 of the entire cost of the wild horse and burro management program. the cost of these holding facilities have been rising dramatically from $7 million in 2000 to $21 million in 2008. so we're attempting to reduce costs here, reduce the holding

0:53:36 to 0:53:56( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: cost by lessening the number of roundups through a dwi nation of what we're doing in this bill, making more public land available for wild horses and burros, strengthening and reforming the adoption program, enhancing measures for fertility control and contraception. and, third, even with the actions that i've already outlined, there will not be enough open range land to

0:53:57 to 0:54:17( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: sustain all of our wild horses. in an effort to contain the cost control associated with these holding facilities, we seek to bolster the adoption program and implement sterilization and other fertility controls. we seek to give the bureau of land management the tools with which to do a better job. and finally what the bill does

0:54:18 to 0:54:38( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: not allow is a destruction of healthy horses. fatally injured or terminaly ill animals, yes, but not healthy wild mustangs. let us stop the slaughter, stop the slaughter, stop the abuse and save taxpayer money and vote for the pending legislation. let's save mustangs and save tax

0:54:39 to 0:55:00( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: dollars at the same time and support the pending legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro teore: t gentleman yields back the balance of his time. all time for debate has expired. for what purpose does the gentl rise? mr. rahall: mr. speaker, i have an amendment made in order under the rule. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will designate the amendment.

0:55:01 to 0:55:21( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: the clerk: amendment printed in part a of house rert 111-212 offered by mr. rahall of west virginia. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to house resolution 653, the gentleman from west virginia, mr. rahall, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from west virginia. mr. rahall: mr. speaker, this is amendment makes four chaes to h.r. 1018 as reported by our natural resources committee.

0:55:22 to 0:55:43( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: first, after further consultation with experts in the field, the amendment will broaden the types of fertility control that would be available to the bureau of land management in order to better manage the wild horse and burro population. next, the amendment narrows the definition of commercial uses prohibited under the act. the purpose of this change is to clearly prohibit the sale of horses and burros for slaughter while clarifying that use of

0:55:44 to 0:56:06( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: these animals on farms or in other commercial operations is allowed. the amendment also makes a technical change to clarify the membership requirements for the wild horse and burro advisory council and finally the amendment relaxes the requirement that to return wild horses and burros to the land which they've been removed since 1971. the c.b.o. cost estimate for

0:56:07 to 0:56:25( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: this bill was based on the assumption that significant land acquisition would be require. that will not be the case. however, these horses and bureaus -- burros can be accommodated on existing lands. restoration of those acres would remain an important goal but not a legal requirement. this is a good package of small changes which will improve h.r.