Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017

Floor Speech

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Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Byrne-Flores amendment.

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Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I disagree with my colleague. I think that the National Ocean Policy is a vital tool that we have to help ensure that our coastal communities and their stakeholders work together and coordinate their ideas and make plans to achieve local goals. I think as a Congress we need to recognize the importance of our oceans and ocean planning.

Unfortunately, each year, we come to the floor of this body on various appropriations bills to defend the vital work of the National Ocean Policy. We have debated over 15 riders on this issue in the past two Congresses. Instead, we ought to be talking about the progress that our local communities are making on ocean planning. In New England, we are actually making progress. And this year, we have the New England regional ocean plan to be proud of.

No process is perfect, I will give you that, but at least we have begun the discussion. Fisherman, lobstermen, and other community leaders have been included in the development of these voluntary regional ocean plans.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this misguided attempt to stop the National Ocean Policy and the important work it does.

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Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), my good friend and colleague.

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Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, would you please give me a sense of how much time I have remaining?

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Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague from Rhode Island for once again describing what is a very important policy.

I have to disagree with my colleague from Alabama (Mr. Byrne). I do not think that this is Federal top-down. In fact, I think this is better decisionmaking, bottoms-up, not top-down. It gives opportunities for local communities to have an input.

I want to unequivocally state that we spend no money on ocean planning. The NOP does not create any Federal regulations or supersede any local or State regulations. But what it does do is it leverages taxpayer dollars to reduce duplication between Federal, State and local agencies, to streamline data collection, and to strengthen public involvement. That is exactly what we want to have happen in our coastal communities.

Our oceans and coasts support 3 million ocean-related jobs, generate $360 billion through tourism, development, commercial fishing, recreational fishing, boating, energy, shipping, and other activities. This is a very effective planning tool to reconcile and coordinate those activities. It does not prevent them.

And just in closing, I will say that my colleague from Alabama may look at this one way, but I represent the State of Maine, which has a tremendous amount of coastline. I represent about half the coastline off the coast of Maine, and I have also represented many coastal communities prior to coming to Congress as a State legislator.

I live on an island. I take a ferry for 1 hour to get home, unlike virtually any other Member of Congress. Everybody in my community is dependent on the ocean. Every island I represent is dependent on the ocean.

Every coastal community has to have a working waterfront, fishermen. It has to have tourism, fishing, all of them working together. I don't think that in the State of Maine we don't understand ocean planning.

We know our oceans are desperately troubled. They are in danger. They need our attention, and Congress has to pay attention to that. We can't do this in a haphazard way. We have to have it coordinated.

So I ask my colleagues to oppose this rider, as we have many, many times, and to support National Ocean Policy.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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