Providing For Consideration Of Senate Amendment To H.R. 627, Credit Cardholders' Bill Of Rights Act Of 200
Floor Speech
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Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gen tle lady.
As I'm certain is true of all of my colleagues, my office has been inundated with calls and letters from constituents who are outraged by sudden and arbitrary increases in their credit card rates. Their hard-earned taxpayer dollars were used to shore up financial institutions to prevent economic collapse and, in return, some of the very same financial institutions turned around and doubled the interest rates they charge their customers. I'm pleased we're taking strong action today to combat these abuses--yes, abuses--and I urge my colleagues to support it.
However, I have serious concern about the amendment that would allow loaded firearms in our national parks. There is no reason for this provision in the bill. It is not germane. It is not relevant. It is poor public policy.
Wait a minute, you say, I thought you were talking about credit cards. To say that this amendment about guns in the parks is out of left field insults the many ball players who, over the years, have held that position--yes, even the bumblers. It insults them.
For the past 25 years, the regulations requiring guns in parks to be unloaded and stored has served the Park Service and the park public well. It helps keep our national parks the safest lands in the country. The probability of being a victim of a violent crime in a park is less than 1 in 700,000. These regulations also help prevent mischief and even poaching of endangered species that our parks help protect.
Our national parks are national treasures, and they should be granted special protections. It's completely appropriate to have special regulations that are special to the parks. We in Congress should do everything we can to ensure that these invaluable resources are protected for future generations, and I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against that amendment in this bill.
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