Fleming on President's Growing Land Grab

Statement

Congressman John Fleming, M.D. (LA-4), Chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs,released the following statement in response to President Obama's proposed budget for the Fish and Wildlife Service for fiscal year 2013:

"With his budget proposing a deficit of nearly a trillion dollars for 2013, President Obama submits to my subcommittee a land acquisition budget that's almost 100% higher than last year! He wants more tax dollars to buy up more private land without making any meaningful effort toreduce the huge operations and maintenance backlog within the refuge system, which is making it increasingly difficult for Americans to hunt, fish or recreate on these lands.

"Mr. President, your Solyndra-like budget, and its massive land grab, is DOA with me. Here's a place to start: Let's begin selling unneeded federal property and using the money to reduce our debt. I think having nearly a third of this nation's land mass in the hands of the federal government, including over half of Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Alaska, and Nevada, is quite enough."

Note: President Obama's request for land acquisition by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for fiscal year 2013 is $106,892,000 which compares to the FY 12 request of $54,632,000.

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