On the recordFebruary 5, 2020
I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I rise today in support of the PUGET SOS Act, and I want to thank my good friend and colleague from the State of Washington, Representative Heck, for his tireless leadership on this important legislation, and his partnership in working to recover this iconic body of water. Those of us who are lucky enough to call Washington State home know that the Puget Sound is a truly special body of water. Generations of our friends and neighbors have built their lives and made livelihoods on Puget Sound. Tribes, since time immemorial, have called the Sound their home. We know that Puget Sound is critical to the environment and to our economic future in our region as well. Our economy is stronger because of the Sound. Our maritime industry is stronger, our fisheries, tourism because--listen--people want to come there. They want to boat or kayak on it. They want to go fishing or crabbing on it. They want to dig for clams and hike along the Sound's beaches. In fact, those experiences are vital to people from near and far, including my own family. It is one of our natural treasures. Some of our region's most culturally important species, including salmon and orca and Dungeness crab, rely on a healthy Sound.…





