Political Quotes

“today is my 258th ``Time to Wake Up'' speech, and I want to use this occasion to take us back to our oceans. Before I get into the substance of my remarks, I note that this will be the last ``Time to Wake Up'' speech during which Adena Leibman will be with me. She has been closely involved in all of my office's oceans work. She has, indeed, led it. She came to my office as a Knauss fellow. We loved Dean Knauss in Rhode Island. He was the dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island. In working with Senator Pell, he helped to launch NOAA, helped to start the Sea Grant Program, and was extremely significant in the ocean work of our government. So one being a Knauss fellow--one of the Knauss legacies-- is a really big deal and is a particularly big deal in Rhode Island. Adena has been coordinating the oceans work now for 4 years and has also been coordinating our appropriations work. In the time that Adena has been working on this, the bipartisan Oceans Caucus, which Senator Murkowski and I established, has grown to 40 Members. It is very bipartisan. It is very effective. We set it up as a working caucus, and it is working. Adena helped us get the Coastal Resilience Fund passed into law. It is now producing tens of millions of dollars in grants for coastal communities that need the support as sea levels rise. She helped to get the Save Our Seas Act passed. That was a unanimous effort.…”