Senate Proceeding on Sep 24th, 2009 :: 4:51:55 to 5:00:15
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4:51:51 to 4:52:12( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: ms. landrieu: ten minutes. mrs. boxer: that's perfect for me. if i cou consent request that i be recognized following senator landrieu? the presiding officer: is there objec so ordered. the senator from louisiana is so recognized. ms. landrieu: thank you, mr. president. i appreciate the leadership of the senator from california tprapbd tennessee trying to move this important appropriations bill through the

4:51:55 to 5:00:15( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Mary Landrieu

4:52:13 to 4:52:36( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: as you heard this morning, there are lots of very important issues pending before the body. i came to speak just for a few minutes not about an amendment pending at the present time, but about an issue that is bubbling up and brewi significant way that we will

4:52:37 to 4:52:58( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: have to address sometime not necessarily on this bill today, not necessarily through an amendment process to the interior. but a program that is in the interior appropriations bill that is screaming for attention, and that is the program to deal with the management of

4:52:59 to 4:53:20( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: wild horses in it's not a major issue to all our 50 states, but it's a very big issue to a handful of western states and of interest to several of us in this body. and that's what i wanted to speak about. first, let me thank senator feinstein and h leadership that they are

4:53:21 to 4:53:43( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: providing and helping us shape policy as we move forward. she's and i want to thank her very much. i want to acknowledge the interest of former senator salazar, n and his top leadership. they've got a tremendous amount

4:53:44 to 4:54:09( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: of iss those that are going to take a lot of their time. and forhem to make this a priority because some of us have asked them to, i want to acknowledge that them, all the assistant secretaries and staff on the interior that are working on this. and the reason it's important is from two

4:54:11 to 4:54:31( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: one, there's a fiscal note attached to this that taxpayers are alarmed about. that is that the wild horse program because of its mismanagement and poor way of operating and old-fashioned way of operating, is chewing up or taking up about three-quarters of the budget of the bureau of

4:54:32 to 4:54:54( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: land management. and so from just a fiscal perspective management perspec crying out for reform. on the other hand, there's another view of the humanity or inhumaness of some of the practices going on that are also crying out for attention.

4:54:55 to 4:55:16( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: and i come to speak briefly about both. and i understand that my colleagues are here to talk about other subdz. but, first of all, the big picture. at the turn of the had about a millionild on the territory of the united states. i guess it's a sad thing today

4:55:17 to 4:55:39( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: for most people's perspective that we're now down to 66,000 wild horses. basically forced through policies developed in the 1970's to stay in relatively, relatively small

4:55:40 to 4:56:01( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: in just a few states, most notably the state of nevada, wyoming, and california, and a few other western states. we also are down to just a few herds of horses. and the reason that i think that this is even more to just western states or the

4:56:02 to 4:56:24( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: rankers or landowners or humane society and others is because for the american people generally, the idea of wild spaces with wild horses is something that is really part of our heritage. and we want to make sure that that heritage isn't lost, that we're being responsible in terms of the way the land is being used for multiple purposes and

4:56:25 to 4:56:46( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: from the perspective of horse advocates, that the horses themselves are being treated fairly. and none of that right now is being done in the way that most people, i appreciate or would be satisfied with. there have been any number of studies that i'm going to submit to the record. most recently, the congressional

4:56:47 to 4:57:08( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: research service as well as the government accounting office has suggested major chang program. i'm just going to go through a few possible one, the creation of several public-private sanctuaries. this has been suggested fairly high-profiled individuals in our country.

4:57:09 to 4:57:29( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: the idea has merit. we are working with a variety of different groups along with the department to think about the possibility of creating public-private partnerships, large sanctuaries, maybe 500,000 or a million acres where thousands of wild horses could

4:57:30 to 4:57:51( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: not healthy way, but they also could potentially become opportunities for some of the states and communities as it would be an attction that could potentially make money and attract people out to some of these western or, for that matter, grant

4:57:52 to 4:58:14( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: areas in other parts of the country. there is a possibility to make some smart investments to step up some of the adoption programs that might work. and there are any number of scientific and new technologies that can be brought to bear in terms of breed management, reproductive issues that could

4:58:15 to 4:58:39( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: help us get a much more cost-effective, sane and humane approach to this problem. so i wanted to just let the leaders of this bill know that while we will not have an amendment at this time on the interior bill, i'm looking forward to working with the members of the energy committee that have jurisdiction over this matter to review in detail the

4:58:40 to 4:59:03( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: bill that's come over from the house, by the chairman of that subcommittee, who i want to commend for taking his time and his committee's time, congress rahall, that sent a bill over to the senate, and as w begin to discuss the ways that that bill could potentially be modified, working with the department of interior to find a long-term

4:59:04 to 4:59:24( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: solution, one that's cost-effective, one that's humane. and, mr. president, one that honors the great history of wild horses, not jus look at but helped us to settle the west, helped us to open up transport and commerce for this nation, have carried us into war, into battle, helped to feed

4:59:25 to 4:59:48( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: and clothe this nation in our history needs a bit more attention than what they are getting right now. and finally i'll say in cliewngs thrrvetion a disturbing roundup a few weeks ago -- i'll say in conclusion, there was a disturbing roundup a few week ago.

4:59:49 to 5:00:10( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: we'll continue to work to until -- until we find a better way forward. it will be very respectful of the western lands and the ranchers who have multiple of this property. i'm cerin in the nation that god has bequeathed to us, we can find enough space for everyone if we kind of keep an open mind. i know the senator from

5:00:11 to 5:00:15( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: tennessee will agree with that, that if we work hard enough, we can find some common ground