Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. S. 1421, the Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act, amends the Lacey Act to designate the ``big head'' species of Asian carp as injurious fish. This bill was introduced by Senator Carl Levin of Michigan and recently passed the Senate by unanimous consent. My colleague, Mrs. Biggert from Illinois, sponsored the House companion bill to this legislation, H.R. 3137, and has been a tireless champion of this legislation. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Asian carp were imported by catfish farmers in the 1970s to remove algae from their commercial ponds. During large floods in the early 1990s, many of the catfish farm ponds overflowed their banks and the Asian carp were released into local waterways in the Mississippi River basin. The carp have steadily made their way north up the Mississippi, becoming the most abundant species in some areas of the river. Dubbed the ``underwater lawn mower,'' these enormous fish have become a menace to native species and their habitats. Asian carp can grow to over 4 feet long and over 100 pounds in weight. These fish can consume nearly three times their body weight in food each day. As a result, Asian carp leave little food or no food supply for the other fish. As the fish move upstream toward the Great Lakes, they threaten the food supply of sport fish such as the yellow perch, walleye, and small mouth bass.…”