James Oberstar: “I will not object to passage of the National Invasive Species Act of 1996. The bill before us now is nearly identical to…”

“I will not object to passage of the National Invasive Species Act of 1996. The bill before us now is nearly identical to the Invasive Species bill that the House passed by voice vote earlier this week, except for limited amendments which have been requested by the other body. I continue to have some concerns regarding one of those changes, but on balance, those concerns are outweighed by the net gains to the Great Lakes region and to the Nation from this bill being signed into law this Congress. This bill will contribute toward preventing further invasions by, and the spread of, nonindigenous aquatic species. It builds on the very successful program in the Great Lakes, which was developed under the 1990 'Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act,' and expands the scope of the law to the entire Nation. Also of critical importance, the bill should promote the development of new technologies, recognizing the limitations of ballast exchange in preventing the spread of invasive species that already have been introduced into the Great Lakes and other U.S. waters. We all have a great deal at stake in passage of this bill this year.”