On the recordDecember 1, 2010
As a representative from the Great Lakes region and a cosponsor of the House version of this bill, I support passage of S. 1421, the Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act. S. 1421 will explicitly ban Asian carp from being imported or shipped to the U.S. Entry and proliferation of Asian carp into the Great Lakes would be ruinous to businesses, particularly commercial fishing and recreation, which rely on the Great Lakes for their livelihood, as well as to the ecology of the Great Lakes system as a whole. This legislation is another necessary measure to ensure this damaging species is kept out of the Great Lakes. I am thankful that Congress has taken several steps so far, including authorization and funding of the electrical barriers in the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal, and other measures. We must continue to consider all options to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes, including closing the locks on the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal and examining the benefits and costs of pursuing long-term ecological separation between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basin to prevent carp and future invasive species from migrating through this pathway. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to find solutions to protect our Great Lakes from this continuing threat. I ask the House to join me in supporting S. 1421.
