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Toxic Tides Bill Rocks The House!
On March 12th the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3650 The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act. As soon as we sounded the alarm, you responded and together we helped produce immediate action: a second and successful vote on the House floor. Thank you to Congressional champions who wouldn't quit, and to all who made their voice heard...
On March 12th the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3650 The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act. As soon as we sounded the alarm, you responded and together we helped produce immediate action: a second and successful vote on the House floor. Thank you to Congressional champions who wouldn't quit, and to all who made their voice heard. As a result, this strong ocean bill is closer to becoming a law.
We're thrilled about this victory, and honored that Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA) and Congressman Connie Mack IV (R-FL) both thanked Ocean Champions by name on the House floor. Several other champions rose to speak passionately about the issue, including Congressmen Vern Ehlers (R-MI), Frank Kratovil (D-MD) and Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-FL).
These champions are passionate, because they know that HABs are a dangerous, growing problem. They kill fish, marine mammals, birds and pet dogs, put fishermen out of work, ruin vacations and make people really sick (sometimes fatally). While HABs peak in the summer, they are becoming problematic year around. In recent weeks, we've seen outbreaks suspected of mass pelican kills in California, and predicted to wreak havoc on the northeast shellfish industry next summer.
H.R. 3650 is a great solution to these problems. It will develop, coordinate and implement an integrated national strategy along with regional action plans to address and reduce harmful algal blooms and hypoxia. It will fund research where causes are not well understood, and the implementation of solutions where they are.
We couldn't be happier at this point, and would like to thank Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA) who sponsored the legislation, and Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) for their leadership. We'd also like to thank all the other ocean champions who supported the bill, including original co-sponsors Connie Mack IV (R-FL), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Frank Kratovil (D-MD), and Vern Ehlers (R-MI).
We now need to move the bill through the always tricky Senate. There is solid support and we're working hard to find the right vehicle, but we may need your help once again over the coming weeks and months to make sure we get this bill over the goal line before the 111th Congress wraps up. For now, we'll celebrate another major milestone for this important legislation.
12 March 2010, 8:00 pm
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OC Blog
The Connection Between Elections and Ocean Policy
Last Friday, the House of Representatives stayed an extra day to pass H.R. 3650 The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act. This was a big victory and a critical step to getting the bill on President Obama’s desk to sign it into law. We’re excited about this milestone, but as many of you [...]
15 March 2010, 3:42 pm
Last Friday, the House of Representatives stayed an extra day to pass H.R. 3650 The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act. This was a big victory and a critical step to getting the bill on President Obama’s desk to sign it into law. We’re excited about this milestone, but as many of you saw, it wasn’t easy.
You may recall that H.R. 3650 was originally considered on Tuesday under “Unanimous Consent.” This is a way for the House to efficiently move non-controversial bills, which to that point, H.R. 3650 appeared to be. Unfortunately, for political purposes, the Republicans whipped against the bill, with 138 voting against it, and H.R. 3650 fell 7 votes short of the 2/3 majority it needed to pass under Unanimous Consent.
At this point, the bill could have been dead, but thanks to our champions in Congress, it lived to fight (and win) again. Ocean Champions was on the Hill Wednesday morning to assess what went wrong and see if there was a way forward. What we saw when we talked to our champions was intense resolve to get this strong ocean bill passed. Congressman Bart Gordon (D-TN), Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee promised us that they would get the bill back to the floor. Subcommittee Chair Brian Baird (D-WA) was equally resolute. Showing that the resolve was bi-partisan, Congressmen Vern Ehlers (R-MI) and Connie Mac (R-FL), passionate supporters of this legislation, were also motivated to get it done. Committee staff told us that a strong showing of public support would help Leadership demonstrate the need to give the bill a second vote, and the Ocean Champions activists responded, sending 1200 letters in just a few hours. In the end, the bill got back to the House Floor Friday morning, where it passed easily.
This never would have happened without committed ocean champions in Congress. In addition to the four cited above, Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-FL) and Congressman Frank Kratovil (D-MD) gave powerful Floor speeches supporting the bill. And across all the Members we’ve endorsed and supported, there was not a single “no” vote on Tuesday or Friday. This is why we work so hard to help elect people who are committed to healthy oceans and want to pass policies that will get us there. This is also why Ocean Champions is bi-partisan. Champions come from both sides of the aisle, and our Republican champions like Congressmen Mack and Ehlers, and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen proved that again by standing up for this bill.
Now the companion HABs bill in the Senate must be passed. S. 952 was introduced and led by two ocean champions - Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and has been supported by other champions such as Senators Mark Begich (R-AK), Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA). Getting it passed will require their leadership along with the leadership of other champions we’ve endorsed. We believe our chances are excellent, because we believe in our champions.
In the 2010 elections, many of these champions are in tight races, and we’ll need to help defend them while finding new champions to continue building a pro-ocean Congress. We hope you’ll be watching and will “vote the oceans” when the time comes. With the right Members in Congress, who knows what we can get done for the oceans?
15 March 2010, 3:42 pm