[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 21, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H4374]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   READINESS AND RANGE PRESERVATION INITIATIVE HURTS THE ENVIRONMENT

  (Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak 
out against the Readiness and Range Prevention Initiative proposed by 
the Department of Defense. This initiative would provide exemptions to 
the United States military from enforcing and abiding by the Marine 
Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, two very 
important pieces of legislation that have for decades provided 
safeguards and protections to our environment.
  Many of our bases are home to critical habits and endangered species, 
especially, for example, Camp Pendleton, which is very near my 
district, where there are currently 17 endangered species.
  Mr. Speaker, this initiative is harmful, it is unnecessary, and it is 
an attack on our environment. Laws already exist that provide 
exemptions for the military for purposes of national security. The 
military just has not bothered to enact those. There is absolutely no 
need for the type of broad-based policy such as the Readiness and Range 
Prevention Initiative.
  We were able to defeat this measure last year, and I am confident 
that we will do it again this year. There is no evidence that suggests 
that our military should be exempted from these laws.

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