[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 82 (Tuesday, May 16, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H2357-H2358]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         OPPOSING A BAN ON LEAD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Carl) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CARL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife proposal regulating and banning lead ammo and fishing 
tackle from our public lands across this country.
  So many of us grew up hunting and fishing with our parents, our 
grandparents, and our friends. Some of my best memories are with my 
kids and grandkids when I have taken them hunting and fishing in those 
quiet moments that we have together when we can talk about life lessons 
and about the things that, as families, we need to pass on.
  These traditions will cease to exist if we allow this proposal to 
come into effect by U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
  In my opinion, enjoying the great outdoors with our friends and 
families is one of the most important and special parts of the American 
Dream. Unfortunately, the Biden administration is planning to impose 
more rules and regulations even on our most basic rights.
  I have huge concerns over these actions. Low-cost lead for ammunition 
and fishing gear made of lead is commonly used by all of us. Banning 
them will essentially be the same as putting a ``no hunting'' sign on 
millions of acres of land and kicking people off waterways across this 
Nation.
  Access to hunting and fishing on public land is important in this 
country, and we cannot allow the Biden administration to take away 
these rights because they would rather listen to the far-left 
environmentalist groups than trust the science and leave law-abiding 
Americans alone.
  Whether they are attempting to ban gas stoves, force expensive 
electric vehicles on everyone, or tell us what kind of ammunition we 
can hunt with or what type of fishing lures we can use, this 
administration seems determined to chip away at our constitutional 
rights.
  Many years ago, I took a hunter safety course from a blind gentleman 
who could no longer see to hunt and fish, but his way of reliving all 
of those memories was teaching a hunter safety course. He taught me 
that you will never control guns because you can make a gun out of 
virtually anything.
  The way to control guns, by an old gunsmith who is living his dreams 
through his blind eyes, is ammunition. Don't think for a second this 
lead bill is about wildlife. This bill is about controlling the lead 
that we use in our guns and not controlling the guns themselves. This 
man had wisdom. This was 30 years ago. It has just taken them a little 
while to get to it.
  What is the next step? Will the next step be banning all lead from 
being used in hunting? How is that going to limit our hunting? Who is 
that going to limit that can afford to hunt?

[[Page H2358]]

  This is a slippery slope we don't have to go down. We have to stop it 
now. We cannot give them the first bite of the apple by saying that we 
cannot use lead on government property.
  I can promise you that I will do all I can to stop this from 
happening and ensure that this administration can try to do nothing 
similar to this.
  I encourage all American hunting and fishing clubs, whether you are a 
shooter, a hunter, a fisherman of any type, to do something. Speak out. 
Talk to your legislators. Reach out to the President. Make some phone 
calls. Let your voice be heard today.
  Don't wait until after something gets passed because this proposal 
will kill our sport as we know it, and we have to fight back.

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