On the recordFebruary 18, 2011
Our budget is a serious document and a statement of our values as a Union. Americans are depending on us to reduce the deficit in a responsible manner while growing our economy and putting people back to work. But as their 'so be it, let them eat cake' approach to jobs and the economy shows, our Republican colleagues have chosen to abandon the responsibility for recklessness. Now the Republicans are proposing to wipe out the California salmon industry and the thousands of jobs that depend on it. California's fishermen just made it through 3 years of unprecedented slowdown in the salmon industry. An estimated 23,000 jobs and $2.8 billion have been lost in just the last 3 years. These latest proposals threaten water supplies for millions, including both fishermen and farmers. Mr. Speaker, salmon means jobs. I have met the people who make their living with salmon, and they are proud of their jobs. According to recent studies, restoring the California bay-delta could provide 94,000 new jobs and $5.7 billion in economic activity.
