[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 65 (Friday, May 10, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H4804]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            NEW MEXICO FIRES

  (Mr. RICHARDSON asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, despite what you may be hearing, New 
Mexico and Taos County are not burning. Our fires, thankfully, have 
been contained. New Mexico is open for business and tourism. In fact, 
99.5 percent of Taos County where this fire took place did not burn.
  I would like to let everybody know these fires were composed of a 
small percentage of land in northern New Mexico. We certainly have not 
closed our borders to traveling Americans because of them. In fact, 
Americans should know New Mexico continues to have some of the finest 
camping, fishing, hiking, skiing anywhere in the country as well as the 
famous southwestern cultural attractions in Santa Fe and Taos and our 
Indian pueblos. So as long as you are not in the habit of throwing 
burning cigarettes and matches on the ground, we wholeheartedly welcome 
you to New Mexico.

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