Political Quotes

“My amendment is straightforward. It directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to use its existing authority to dredge Hampton Harbor in southern New Hampshire. Hampton Harbor is New Hampshire's largest commercial fishing port, and it is a lifeline to the ocean for New Hampshire fishermen. Severe shoaling has made the water so shallow that it will soon become unnavigable. Some vessels must wait for the tides to be at their highest simply to enter the harbor. Over 1,500 recreational vessels, emergency response and patrol boats, and numerous commercial lobster and fishing boats could be cut off from the ocean. The narrowing and shallowing of the harbor not only places unnecessary costs on local businesses, it is also a safety hazard. As access points to the harbor become tighter and the window for entering the harbor safely narrows, more boats must enter and exit the harbor at the same time. This greatly increases the risk of a collision. A Hampton fisherman has warned in a letter to his local paper that: ``Only a matter of time before there is a boat-to-boat or boat-to-wall collision, which will result in major property damage and possible human injury or death.'' This project must move forward as soon as possible. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.”