[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 92 (Thursday, June 20, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1148]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______


                         HON. WILLIAM M. THOMAS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 20, 1996

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I missed a vote on an amendment to 
H.R. 3662, which passed by a 93 vote margin, 257 to 164. I oppose the 
amendment which would resume designating critical habitat for the 
marbled murrelet and would have voted against the amendment had I not 
been detained discussing a matter of importance to some of my Tulare 
County constituents with Members of the Senate in the Senate Chamber.
  For too long, the Endangered Species Act has hurt our economy and 
wasted public resources. As a cosponsor of H.R. 2275, I believe 
Congress must reform the Endangered Species Act, so that it will 
contain strict requirements for scientific documentation and mandate 
objective evaluation of evidence prior to any species being listed and 
a habitat designation made. If society wants to protect a species, then 
society should pay for it, and not lay the costs onto the backs of that 
segment of society who own property on which so-called endangered 
species live.

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