Newsroom

I want to thank Chairman Gosar of the Western Caucus for arranging this special order tonight. The wildfire crisis facing our forests across the West comes down to a simple adage. Excess timber comes out of the forest one way or the other. It is either carried out, or it burns out. But it comes out.

Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands meets to discuss HR 3668, the “Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act of 2017” or “Share Act.” The Share Act combines provisions from previous legislation passed by the House in the 112th, 113th and 114th congresses. Its purpose is to increase opportunities for hunters, recreational shooters, and anglers; eliminate regulatory impediments; safeguard against new regulations that impede outdoor sporting activities; and protect Second Amendment rights.

Two weeks after the 2016 election, I spoke on the House floor and warned that the greatest single obstacle to meeting the expectations of the American people was the cloture rule in the Senate. I said: “Voters elected Republican majorities in both houses of Congress and they expect action. They’ll get it from the President and from the House. But in order for the Senate to rise to this occasion, it must reform its cloture rule when it organizes in January.” It didn’t.

DACA was an unconstitutional usurpation of legislative authority by President Obama and President Trump is right to end it, while giving Congress the time it will need to develop law to transition out of it. I have long maintained that until our borders are secured, discussions over legalizing the residency of illegal immigrants brought to this country as children were premature and would encourage more illegal crossings. Now that the administration is making progress on restoring border security, it is time for Congress to address this issue. Reform should incorporate two fundamental policies: