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~ . . Page 2 WRW washn x x x Committee Rep. John J. Rhodes, IlL, R-Ariz., protested Miller's action, noting the hearing "would not be balanced" without receiving testi- mony from Administration witnesses. Rhodes urged Miller to recess the hearing until the snafu could be straightened out. Miller vowed he would provide a balanced hearing record. He and Vento went ahead with the April 26 hearing in the crowded Interior hearing room. They also wrote a hand-delivered letter to Lujan on April 26. They stated that, in Miller's letter of April 10 asking Interior wi tnesses to appear, "we noted this legislation affects several different areas of responsibility within the Department. Therefore, we requested that you provide a Department witness who could speak on your behalf and on behalf of the Department. In addition, we request- ed you send the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Directors of the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service." only Underwood was designated to represent Interior, they noted. Miller and Vento said, "It is presumptuous to think that the Commis- sioner of Reclamation can speak" for NPS and USF&WS. "Prohibiting Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service employees from attending our hearing is tacit admission that the Department considers the Bureau of Reclamation to be in charge of the Grand Canyon," they stated in their letter to Lujan. It is also an infringement on the Committee's and Subcommittees' legislative oversight jurisdiction, Miller stated at the April 26 hearing. The two Subcommittee chairmen on April 26 repeated their request that LUjan "provide a Departmental witness who can speak on your behalf and on behalf of ALL (of) the agencies in the Department," and that he be accompanied by the Rec- lamation Commissioner, the NPS Director and the USF&WS Director. Goldstein told Western Resources Wrap-up (WRW) on May 1 Lujan has decided to permit the NPS Director and the USF&WS Director to accompany Reclamation Commissioner Underwood when and if a new hear- ing is scheduled on the CRSP bill. He said the Interior panels had been so informed by phone. But the Miller/Vento Subcommittees said they had received no word from Lujan by mid-week. Once these panels have been notified, they will schedule a joint hearing "within the next week" to get the views of Administration witnesses, Dan Beard, staff director of the Miller subcommittee, told WRW in mid-week. At the end of the April 26 hearing, Miller recessed it for later resumption. He is eager to move ahead with his CRSP bill. The hearing indicated the Interior Department is willing to go along with the bill's intent. Miller feels the bill can be marked up quickly in the House Interior Committee and can be brought up fast on the House floor under suspension of the rules. Miller feels, as do many others who attended the hearing, that Lujan did the bill a favor by refusing to let NPS and US&WS officials answer questions on it at the April 26 hearing. Miller issued a press release on April 27 headlined "Gag Orders and the Grand Canyon." It included an article from the Wash- ington Post stating, "Lujan Bars Testimony by 2 Officials." Miller asked, "What have they got to hide?" He urged House members who have not co-sponsored his bill yet to do so. The bill already has 33 co- sponsors. "Who can be against the Grand Canyon?" he asked. (more)