[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 77 (Wednesday, May 10, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H4677]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        MEMBERS URGED TO SUPPORT CLEAN WATER ACT REAUTHORIZATION

  (Mr. HOSTETTLER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HOSTETTLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 961, the Clean 
Water Act reauthorization. We have a chance, with this bill, to provide 
a great amount of regulatory relief to the American farmer. Farmers 
depend on the land to make a living, so they are last ones who want to 
jeopardize ground water with poor ecological practices. But an out-of-
control bureaucracy has caused nightmare after nightmare for farm 
families by implementing a ridiculous definition of wetlands that 
prohibits producers from farming or improving their property because of 
puddles in their fields. I am particularly distressed that the National 
Academy of Sciences would sacrifice sound science for the sake of 
partisan politics, as shown by the timing of their recent release on 
wetlands. I commend my colleague, Mr. Shuster, my colleague, Mr. Hayes, 
and all the others who had a role in providing this much-needed sanity. 
I urge my colleagues who are interested in getting the government out 
of the American farmer's way, to support H.R. 961. Oh, by the way, did 
you notice the Republicans just produced a balanced budget?

                          ____________________