Agricultural Disaster Assistance and Western States Emergency Unfinished Business Appropriations Act, 2007

Floor Speech

AGRICULTURAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE AND WESTERN STATES EMERGENCY UNFINISHED BUSINESS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007 -- (House of Representatives - May 10, 2007)

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Mr. THOMPSON of California. I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker and Members, this bill contains emergency disaster funding that is needed because of a commercial fishing disaster that happened last year and was not dealt with last year. It has devastated fishing families and related businesses up and down the California and the Oregon coast. Moreover, this disaster was the result of this administration's failed and illegal water policy. This water policy caused a virtual shutdown of the entire commercial fishing, salmon fishing season last year. And their water policy has been unanimously ruled arbitrary and capricious and a violation of the Endangered Species Act by not one, not two, but three different courts.

Sadly, fishing families throughout my district and other parts of the coast have lost their boats. They have lost their homes. And they can't wait, as the ranking member suggested, for the 2008 funding cycle. The ones who still have their boats can't afford to buy fuel to go fishing if they do get a fishing season this year.

Marinas throughout my district have gone out of business. The few that are left open have had to lay off up to 80 percent of their employees. Fishing lodges throughout the coastal area are near bankruptcy. And all of this because of a failed water policy and the previous majority's failure to deal with this disaster declaration last year, a disaster declaration that was made by the Secretary of Commerce. These folks can't wait.

Also, as previously mentioned, this important bill contains rural school funding that is critical to school districts throughout rural America. And they are entitled to this funding because the Federal Government owns the property that would otherwise generate taxes that would fund these schools. This funding goes for schools and for the road maintenance in these areas.

I have one county that has 80 percent federally owned property. And to talk about rubbing salt on a wound, not only do they get their school funding and their road maintenance funding taken away, but they are still required to maintain the roads throughout this federally owned property. This is an incredibly important bill that needs to be passed and should not be vetoed by this administration.

I urge an ``aye'' vote.

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