Political Quotes

“Mr. President, let me thank the distinguished Senator from Louisiana for his hard work, along with Chairman Boxer, to get us to this point, which I think is a very auspicious point with a very bipartisan bill on the floor and with the Senate on the cusp of an agreement that will allow us to implement the managers' amendment and call up the first tranche of Senate amendments. I thank him and the Chairman for agreeing that an amendment of mine will be one of that first tranche of amendments. I am not going to call it up now because the agreement is not finalized, but I will discuss it so we can save time later on once the bill is pending. My amendment would establish a national endowment for the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes. Our oceans and our coasts face unprecedented challenges. Our coastal States, including our Great Lakes States, badly need this endowment. Water temperatures are increasing, the sea level is rising, and ocean water is growing more acidic. Right now, we as a country and we as States and local communities are ill prepared to engage in the research, restoration, and in the conservation work that is necessary to protect our coastal communities and our coastal economies. The noted ocean explorer Bob Ballard, who famously discovered the wreckage of the Titanic at the bottom of the Atlantic, has said: a major problem . . .…”