United States Capitol Police Administrative Technical Corrections Act of 2009--Continued --

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DeMINT. Mr. President, I know many here are very anxious to start a new government agency, and I won't hold you up for very long.

It is important that we recognize some things that are happening. There is probably one good thing we can do tonight--maybe--to stop the landslide of more government control. In the last year--a little over a year--we have seen this Federal Government take over two of our largest auto companies, our largest mortgage company, our largest insurance company, and expand its control on America's domestic energy sources, and, of course, we had the debate on trying to expand control of health care.

We are expecting, very soon, a new financial reform package that will expand Federal control everywhere from Wall Street to the local pawnshop.

While these big things are coming in front of us, there are things happening in the executive branch that are circumventing Congress, and that should concern us. A lot of you have heard from industries back home about what the EPA standards are doing. Businesses don't know what to expect, nor do local communities. I had an engine company in my office today that said orders were on hold until they find out what the EPA is going to do. I have also had people in my office in the last week talking about the FCC and the coming ruling on expanding control over the Internet--one place in our economy that continues to boom with innovation.

There is one thing that just leaked out that I want to bring to your attention. We need to try to halt that tonight before it is too late. A whistleblower at the Department of the Interior leaked a document that shows they are considering using the Antiquities Act to grab over 10 million acres of land in nine Western States and basically take them offline of jobs for mining, forestry, and energy. This includes Nevada, Utah, Montana, New Mexico, California, Arizona, Oregon, Colorado, and Washington. It is important that we stop this and at least have some Senate hearings on what they are trying to do.

This is a priority for what we are talking about today because the President and the Congress have said our top priority is jobs. This action by the Interior Department will hurt jobs. It will dry up tax revenues in local communities and States. It will restrict energy supplies in this country.

Mr. President, all I am asking is that we suspend the rules, which require 67 votes, and vote on this amendment to stop the Department of the Interior from taking over over 10 million acres of land and hurting our economy and jobs.

I promised the leader I would keep it to less than 10 minutes. I encourage everybody to support this motion I am getting ready to make.

Mr. President, I move to suspend the provisions of rule XXII, including germaneness requirements, for the purpose of proposing and considering my amendment, which is at the desk, and I ask for the yeas and nays.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source