Randy Weber: “I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for her comments. In Texas, we have a great snapper fishing industry as…”

“I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for her comments. In Texas, we have a great snapper fishing industry as well--anglers, recreational. We have charter boat captains. We have a lot of commercial industry as well. By the way, my daughter and first three grandchildren live in Florida, so Florida is my second home. Mr. Chairman, I rise to talk about H.R. 1335 and a proposed amendment by the gentleman from Louisiana, my great friend, Garret Graves, to change the snapper fishing system. The problem is that the plan that has been developed in his amendment is actually a plan that was developed by five people in secrecy who want to change the way NOAA does things and turn it over to the five States. That is a bad idea, and I will tell you why for just a whole bunch of reasons. The current plan has been working since 2007, which actually doubled the population of snapper. Indeed, it has provided a 30 percent increase in the quota this very season. Businesses have been working all along the Texas coast and--to my gentlewoman friend from Florida-- the Florida coast and the whole Gulf Coast area to develop lasting fisheries because their livelihoods depend on it. Mr. Chairman, I am an air conditioning contractor. We have an air conditioning commission there in Texas that regulates us. We want people on that commission who understand the HVAC industry.…”