FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, January 11, 2013
THREE MEMBERS OF MASS. DELEGATION PUSH FOR FISHING DISASTER FUNDING
Multi-pronged Strategy Puts Pressure on Republicans to Support Massachusetts, American Fishermen
WASHINGTON – Three Massachusetts House Democrats are
pushing a multiple amendment strategy to force House Republicans to restore up
to $150 million in disaster funding for Massachusetts and other struggling
fisheries as part of the emergency funding package for superstorm Sandy that
the House of Representatives will consider next week. Rep. Edward J. Markey,
the Dean of the Massachusetts delegation, along with fellow Massachusetts
Democratic Reps. John Tierney and Bill Keating, longtime leaders in the effort
to protect our fishing communities, have all filed amendments to the bill to
get fishermen the support they need.
“Our delegation is committed to getting funds added to the Sandy
supplemental for all of the fisheries disasters in 2012,” the three
Massachusetts Democrats said in a statement. “Our fishing communities face real
and stark economic concerns and this emergency funding is critical to many of
their survival. We urge the Republican-led Rules Committee to recognize the
issues facing these small business owners, and allow the House to vote on our
amendments.”
Rep. Markey’s amendment, which was filed today, seeks to restore
the $150 million in funding as an emergency appropriation, and therefore would
not require a reduction in spending from other relief programs in the bill.
Rep. Markey is the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee, which has
jurisdiction over fisheries issues and funding for NOAA.
Rep. Tierney announced his amendment earlier this week. The
Tierney amendment is fully offset and would raise the fisheries funds from $5
million to $150 million. Tierney and Keating first urged House Appropriators to
include assistance for Northeast fisheries in any disaster relief package early
in December.
Rep. Keating’s amendment, which was also announced earlier this
week, increases the fisheries aid to $116 million and makes it available to all
states that were issued disaster declarations in 2012. It is directly
offset by the monies currently allotted for a reserve fund for the weather
satellite program.
“Our Congressional delegation has been hard at work trying to
secure funding for Massachusetts fishermen and we eagerly await Congress’
decision next week,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “This funding is crucial,
given the severity of the disaster that our fishermen and fishing communities
are facing.”
Democratic Congressman Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts also
announced his support for all three amendments.
All three amendments would restore funding for fishermen who have
had disasters declared in New England and elsewhere in 2012, but have yet to
receive support. While a version of the legislation that passed the Senate with
overwhelming bipartisan support last month included similar language, the bill
introduced in the House does not. House Republicans failed to act on the
Senate bill before the end of the 112th Congress.
Last fall, the three House Democrats and a bipartisan group of
other New England lawmakers wrote to Congressional leaders asking for emergency
funding after the Secretary of Commerce declared an economic disaster for the Northeast
Multispecies - or groundfish – fishery, which includes species like cod,
flounder, and haddock.