Joe Cunningham: “the last speaker, and the gentleman managing the bill, this was so very important to them that under the rule, while…”

“the last speaker, and the gentleman managing the bill, this was so very important to them that under the rule, while they had another half-hour, they spent the whole time on another issue. So this must not be that important an issue for them to support, but it is to the American people. Under the current system we can actually have a percentage of dolphin that go into a tuna safe label, and the American people are saying no, that is wrong. If we want to turn our heads to that, then we should go ahead and say we protect the old system. If we want to protect the old system that allows us to kill billfish and allows us to kill turtles, allows us to kill endangered species and bycatch, then we should go ahead and do not turn around because the current fishing methods they use damage those systems. We are trying to improve it. Twelve other nations came together. That is pretty respectable. They are trying to make a change not just because of trade but because they are trying to protect the species for future generations. They understand this is how they make their livelihood and they want that to continue, not to end. If we take a look at General McCaffrey and every organization, including the Vice President and the President of the United States, they say the gentlemen on the other side are wrong.”