Sam Farr: “First, whoever wrote your statement is wrong on the facts. I was here. This report that was done by the Bush…”

“First, whoever wrote your statement is wrong on the facts. I was here. This report that was done by the Bush administration was brought to the United States Congress, to the Natural Resources Committee. I was a member. Mr. Pombo was the chairman. He would not allow Admiral Watkins, who was chair of the committee, to testify on it. He would not allow a bill, carried by Republican members--Mr. Greenwood, Mr. Saxton, and others--to be heard. Every attempt was made to bring that report to Congress to enact as a bill, and the Natural Resources Committee rejected it, just slammed the door. What President Obama does, there was more in the recommendations because there was actually a way of governing regional areas, much like the National Marine Fisheries does with their regional fishery boards. None of that was allowed. He only uses executive order to get all the Federal agencies together so they can come up with a National Ocean Policy, and not a thing in that policy mentions any of that.”