On the recordNovember 3, 2023
Mr. Chair, the Ocean Policy Committee should focus on addressing the issues that it was actually created to address--most importantly, streamlining Federal coordination. This administration's push of this ocean justice strategy is just another example of unchecked bureaucrats forcing their agenda on Americans and increasing red tape. My amendment stops them from moving forward. Our ocean economy is as diverse as the ocean itself, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing it. The problem we have with Federal programs is they take a different course from how Congress intended for them to go. This isn't cutting funds from the Ocean Policy Committee. It is just forcing the Ocean Policy Committee to do the job that they were established to do without adding unnecessary burdens to their work. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
