Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Here is the bottom line. Ocean planning works, and I can assure you that this is not a top-down approach. Ocean plans are regionally led initiatives where stakeholders and researchers collect data and then come to the table to voice their concerns and work out their differences. With ocean planning, we can use our waters wisely and sustainably. In the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, we have already finished our plans. Now, for some reason, many of my colleagues across the aisle don't believe in this open discussion amon stakeholders, but we have seen what happens when oceans are brought to the brink. Species have been pushed to the edge of extinction undermining the livelihoods of our fishermen and destroying the vibrant ocean ecosystem. It baffles me that we continue debating this. Ocean planning is the way to ensure local and regional voices are heard and that we sustainably pass our waters on to the next generation. So I urge my colleagues to vote for this amendment, which I thank Mr. Beyer for leading. I also want to recognize and commend my colleague in the other Chamber, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, for his extraordinary work in combating climate change and fighting for a sustainable ocean policy. This is the right thing to do, again, regionally led, definitely not a top-down approach.”