On the recordJuly 22, 2010
I express my profound gratitude to the Senator from Rhode Island for his leadership on this initiative. It will have far-reaching implications and importance to our most vital resource, the oceans, and all they represent. I look forward to working with him to transform this legislation into a reality that will protect the oceans in perpetuity and understanding and amassing all the resources that are essential to the preservation of the oceans and what they represent to our environment and to the ecosystem and, of course, to the fisheries that are so important to our respective States and to the country. I thank him for his visionary initiative. I am pleased to join him in that effort. Hopefully, we can bring it to fruition in this Congress. There are a number of issues with respect to the small business legislation pending before the Senate, although pending in a way I would prefer otherwise, given the fact that it addresses the foremost issue facing the country today; that is, jobs and the status of the economy. The economy is not creating the jobs the American people deserve.
