Unanimous Consent Request--S. 494
Floor Speech
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Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I wanted to come down and speak today about a very important sector of the economy for Alaska and for America--that is, our fishermen--and some important, very bipartisan legislation that I am trying to move right now that I am hopeful everybody can agree to. The Senate has agreed to it previously, and I am really hopeful that we can do it again right now.
I talk about the great State of Alaska being the superpower of seafood. Over 60 percent of all seafood--commercial, recreational-- harvested in America comes from my great State. Sixty percent. So this is a vital industry in my State but also a vital industry in the country.
As my colleagues know, our fishermen are some of the hardest working Americans. They are also some of the Americans who have been hit the hardest by this pandemic. The Saltonstall-Kennedy Act helps these hard- working men and women across the country by providing consistent funding for fisheries research and development and related programs, grant programs--very popular.
Decades ago, Congress authorized a group of experts from all around the country--Alaska, the east coast--and vessel owners, fishermen, and distributors to advise the Secretary of Commerce on how to distribute these funds. It makes sense. They are the closest to the action. Over time, unfortunately, this group was disbanded. Nobody thought that was a good idea--abolishing this advisory committee.
Then you had the National Marine Fisheries essentially determine how all of these Saltonstall-Kennedy funds would be distributed to fishermen. So, with all due respect to the DC bureaucrats, they are the ones making the decisions.
So we have a bill--my bill--which, by the way, passed the Senate previously, unanimously, that members in the fishing community from all over the country be chosen to determine how to get these funds out to our fishermen, whether in New York or North Carolina or Alaska, and everybody thinks that makes sense.
Our fishermen need support right now; there is no doubt. They are being hammered by this pandemic. So the legislation that I am hopefully going to be able to pass in the Senate here in a couple of minutes has cosponsors across a broad political spectrum in the Senate: Senators Cantwell, Markey, Warren, Murkowski, and myself.
I am aware of no policy objections to this important piece of legislation. To the contrary, it has already passed the Senate unanimously. I am, however, aware of an unrelated dispute between the Democratic leader and some of my Senate colleagues from the east coast regarding an entirely different bill. I respect disagreements over regional issues, and I certainly hope my colleagues can work them out, but this issue is thousands of miles away from Alaska and my constituents, the people I represent, who are hurting.
Moreover, the bill I am getting ready to introduce, S. 494, helps all fishermen nationwide--New York, North Carolina, Alaska.
The American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act, S. 494, should not be collateral damage or hostage taken in an unrelated fight. If my colleagues want to try and work together, I will certainly help them work out their differences, but I don't think it is constructive to hold hostage this important legislation for a fight that is thousands of miles away from Alaska.
179, S. 494; that the bill be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
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Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, while I am disappointed, these are two good friends of mine on the Senate floor right now, whom I have worked with on numerous pieces of legislation. They both represent their States very well, but this is a missed opportunity for the fishermen of America--America, not just Alaska but for the whole country, New York, North Carolina. And I am certainly hopeful that my good friend from New York and North Carolina can work this out.
I will certainly lend my efforts, my staff's efforts, because we shouldn't have a regional fight blocking what will benefit everybody, particularly when fishermen right now are really hurting. They are one of the sectors of the U.S. economy that have been hammered by this pandemic. This kind of legislation, although it is not going to solve all their problems, shows that we are working for them.
We will live to fight another day here soon. I hope that we are able to pass my legislation, commonsense legislation--the American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act--which will help every fisherman in America.
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