Save Our Seas Amendments Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Figures for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, as the co-chair of the bipartisan Oceans Caucus, I rise enthusiastically today in support of S. 216, the Senate companion to my bipartisan legislation, the Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act.

Marine debris does not stay in one place. A plastic bottle tossed inland can end up hundreds of miles away, wrapped around a propeller, tangled in fishing gear, or broken down into microplastics that end up in the food we eat. Across the country, communities see the damage every day.

In the Pacific Northwest, crews use Marine Debris Program grants to remove abandoned and derelict vessels--rusting tankers that leak fuel, collapse into waterways, and scatter debris with every storm. These removals protect ports, safeguard workers, and prevent thousands of pounds of plastic and fiberglass from entering the ocean.

In Alaska and the Gulf Coast, the program targets ghost fishing gear, including abandoned nets and traps. One abandoned net can trap fish, seabirds, and marine mammals for decades. Through this program, local partners recover that gear, return usable materials to fishers and anglers, and stop the cycle of loss.

In the Great Lakes, communities use these funds to intercept plastic before it reaches open water, cleaning up shorelines, restoring habitats, and keeping microplastics out of the drinking water systems that serve millions of people.

This program doesn't stop at cleanup. It fuels economies and strengthens resilience. Since its creation in 2006, the Marine Debris Program has removed more than 36,000 metric tons of debris. According to NOAA, last year, the program's removal projects drove more than $474 million in tourism and $248 million in recreational value in just the four States in which it operates.

The Marine Debris Program supports research and innovation that address microplastics and microfibers, the invisible pollution shed from tires, textiles, and everyday products. These particles show up in ocean sediments, seafood, and even human bloodstreams. This program helps the scientists track them, understand them, and stop them at the source.

The Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act reauthorizes the Marine Debris Program so communities can keep doing this important work. It also makes targeted, responsible administrative fixes to the Marine Debris Foundation, so the public-private partnerships deliver results faster and more effectively.

The Senate passed this bipartisan bill unanimously earlier this year, and today, Congress can send it to the President's desk.

We often think of plastic pollution as an overwhelming problem, and we haven't made the strides necessary to solve it. The Marine Debris Program and the Marine Debris Foundation are proven tools that make a difference.

When Congress invests in practical solutions to save our seas by empowering local leaders, scientists, fishers, and cleanup crews, it makes measurable progress. This bill protects ecosystems, jobs, and public health.

Mr. Speaker, clean water and a healthy ocean support every community in this country, coastal and inland. I thank my colleagues, Representatives Radewagen and Moylan, for co-leading this legislation, and Senators Sullivan and Whitehouse for leading it in the Senate. I urge my colleagues to support the Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act.

Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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