Editorial: House turns green on the environment

Machiavellian supporters of this bad legislation laced the bill with some decent programs and projects that would benefit the congressional districts of targeted House members, hoping to snare votes. As the Associated Press reported, some provisions included reauthorizing the National Historic Preservation Fund; setting up the 6,000-mile cross-country American Discovery Trail; establishing a historic lighthouse preservation act, and creating national historic sites for Tuskegee Airmen in Alabama and the birthplaces of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

While the bill seemed to have something for everyone it also contained dangerous provisions that would set back our nation's environmental policies. For instance, the bill would have increased timber harvesting on federal lands, limited new wilderness areas and cut the president's power to move fast to protect the development of public resources.

The chairman of the Resources Committee, Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, was upset by the rejection of his plan. "I've listened day-after-day to this president threatening veto. I'm saying we ought to be ashamed of ourselves if we listen just to the president," Young said. Sorry, congressman, but you should be the one ashamed for your continued assault on the environment. Those representatives who stood against you and for the environment deserve to be commended, not condemned.

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