"People don’t believe things like this are going to happen until they do; we didn’t believe the water would be shut off until the canals went dry. Everybody across the nation is realizing it’s not just a local problem."

"We need to educate people about what is happening to the families who work this country’s farms. None of us wants to see a species go extinct, but we must protect our individual property rights."

"Humans are the only species the Endangered Species Act does not take into account. A big difference will be when species begin to be listed in the East, because there are virtually none there now. That will change."

"Our country is under attack from forces all over the world. This is not a time to be attacking miners, farmers and ranchers, the people who produce our country’s raw materials and food."

"Water is the economic engine of the West. You take that away, you turn a productive farmer into a tax liability."

"We absolutely appreciate what you all are doing to raise awareness of the issues. We depend on agriculture a great deal in Mississippi, and we need to maintain an economic environment that our farmers and cattle ranchers can survive in."