For immediate release: September 29, 1998

Babbitt, Democrats Call for removal of Destructive Riders

Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt today joined Congressional Democrats in calling on Congress to remove destructive legislative "riders" that have been attached to spending bills meant to fund the Interior Department and other federal agencies.

Topping the Secretary's list of damaging riders are measures that would cut a road through a wilderness area, require increased logging in National Forests, keep alive outdated laws allowing "giveaways" to the oil and mining industries and open up commercial helicopter tours in Alaska's pristine wilderness, adversely affecting remote recreational and hunting activities.

"There those in Congress who are bent on passing legislation harmful to our environment and our nation's natural heritage," said Babbitt. "They've tried to pass some of these measures on their own merits and failed. So now they've attached them to important federal spending bills hoping that they'll get passed without anybody noticing."

"We have noticed," said Babbitt. "The White House has noticed and threatened to veto these spending bills if harmful riders are attached. Congressional Democrats have noticed and are standing up to publicly call for these riders to be removed. So have environmental groups and some of the nation's leading newspapers. It is time for the leadership of Congress to hear the voice of the people and give up their attempts to sneak destructive legislation into law."

-DOI-

  U.S. Department of the Interior