Political Quotes

“I thank the ranking member of the Science Committee for yielding. Mr. Speaker, this is an important piece of legislation, and I am glad the House is considering it today. I would like to begin by thanking the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Posey), for his willingness to work with me on an amendment to S. 1254 that was adopted in committee and made some modifications to the legislation we are considering today. I would also like to thank the full committee chairman, Mr. Smith, and our ranking member, Ms. Johnson, for supporting us as we developed the amendment and moved the bill forward. This was truly a team effort, and our constituents are well served by this collaboration. I want to join Mr. Posey, also, in thanking our staff on both sides of the aisle for their hard work on this bill. Authorization for the programs under the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act expired in 2012, so this reauthorization is long overdue. The rapid overproduction of algae can have devastating effects on aquatic plants and animals, as well as on human health. For coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems and communities that depend on fishing and tourism to sustain their economies, the effect of algae blooms is a threat to their livelihood. The cost of these blooms has been estimated to be close to $82 million each year, a significant hit to the economy in areas that are still struggling to recover.…”