Members
of Congress call for quick action by the Obama Administration to save jobs and
halt activist judge and former partner at Morrison & Foerster (www.mofo.com)
Washington
DC –
Congressmen Devin Nunes and Jeff Denham, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy and
Chairman Rob Bishop, Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands,
today called on the Obama Administration to act to protect the jobs of
backcountry horsemen who are being threatened by a liberal activist judge and a
National Park Service decision to delay permits for commercial operators.
“There
are approximately 500 jobs hanging in the balance. The Obama
Administration must act swiftly to seek permission from the courts to issue a
one year permit to save these small businesses,” said Rep. Devin Nunes.
“I am working with Chairman Bishop and the House Natural Resources Committee in
an effort to convince them to do just that.”
A
recent federal court decision has resulted in alterations to the permitting
process necessary for pack and saddle backcountry horsemen to enter the Sequoia
and Kings Canyon National Parks. If commercial operating permits are not
granted, backcountry operations will be suspended. Many of these family
businesses cannot survive an economic blow of this magnitude. According to the
Park Service, Judge Richard Seeborg denied a request to expedite a hearing on
issuing permits.
“The
Obama Administration must issue these permits immediately. Issuing the
permits would prevent the cancellation of tourism associated with the pack and
saddle companies, and the subsequent revenue upon which so many jobs and
businesses in this area rely,” said Chairman Bishop. “Congress clearly
intended for these family owned and operated companies to continue at these
parks as they have for decades. This is another example of this
Administration’s ongoing assault on access to public lands and further
illustrates that they will always place radical special interest groups before
hard-working Americans.”
“At
a time of unacceptably high unemployment rates, refusing to act to save these
jobs and preserve access to our public lands is intolerable. I will
continue to fight against the Obama Administration's war on western jobs, and
instead work for commonsense policies that help create jobs and preserve
important access to our national treasures,” said Majority Whip McCarthy.
It
is within the Obama Administration’s power to once again seek permission for a
one year permit for commercial backcountry horsemen operations.
“Preventing
access to federal lands harms small, rural communities that rely on tourism to
bring dollars in to the community,” said Rep. Jeff Denham. “There has
been a concerted effort by this Administration to limit access to public lands
without due consideration to the impacts on local communities. Federal lands
are publicly owned and should be managed in the best interest of the public,
not to their detriment.”
“I
don’t agree with the ruling by the newly appointed liberal activist judge.
Federal law is clear. Congress intended that backcountry horsemen have access
to the park,” said Rep. Nunes. “The ruling in itself is not an excuse to
shut down an entire season of commercial operations. It defies common
sense that officials have so far refused to actively protect jobs.”
This
lawsuit, filed in late 2009 by the High Sierra Hikers Association, was
bankrolled by Morrison & Foerster a politically connected San Francisco law
firm. Judge Richard Seeborg, who presided over the case, is a former partner at
Morrison & Foerster. The law firm, better known as “MoFo” as chided by Jay
Leno (see video), has
contributed more than $100,000 in campaign contributions to liberal Democrat
Members of Congress and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.
Law
firms such as “MoFo” claim to do this type of legal work “pro bono”. In
this case, “MoFo” who is reported to have a record $930 million in revenue last
year, will see a big payday from the federal government as a result of the
Equal Access to Justice Act. This law stipulates that attorney’s fees be
reimbursed by the taxpayers in successful cases.
“The
conflict of interest in this case is appalling. At a minimum the judge should
have recused himself,” said Rep. Nunes.
