Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation And Management Reauthorization Act of 2006
MAGNUSON-STEVENS FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2006 -- (House of Representatives - December 08, 2006)
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Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5946, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 2006. I want to thank Senator Stevens and Senator Inouye for their hard work in getting this authorization to the Senate and to the House. I also want to thank Chairman RICHARD POMBO, who has been a champion for the recreational and commercial fishermen of this Nation. We will miss his leadership greatly. And I want to thank and support all the other Members and their staff that have been involved in this process.
At this point I will insert in the RECORD an exchange of letters between Chairman Pombo and Chairman Boehlert regarding this bill and between Chairman Pombo and Chairman Thomas regarding the polar bear provisions contained in title IX, originally part of H.R. 4075.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES,
Washington, DC, July 13, 2006.
Hon. WILLIAM M. THOMAS,
Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC.
DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I ask your cooperation to help schedule consideration by the House of Representatives of H.R. 4075, the Marine Mammal Protection Act Amendments of 2006, during the week of July 17-21, 2006. I have proposed an amendment to this bill which includes text from S. 2013, the United States-Russia Polar Bear Conservation and Management Act of 2005. The Committee on Ways and Means has a jurisdictional interest in this Senate bill because of its inclusion of trade measures.
My staff has worked with yours to develop a mutually-agreed on text for this amendment, and I have enclosed this amendment for your review. I ask that you not seek a referral of H.R. 4075 based on the inclusion of this language to expedite Floor scheduling. Of course, this action would not be considered as waiving or affecting your jurisdiction over the subject matter of the amendment, nor as precedent for any future referrals of similar measures. Moreover, if the bill is conferenced with the Senate, I would support naming Ways and Means Committee members to the conference committee for the trade provisions. I would also be pleased to include this letter and your response in the Congressional Record during consideration of the bill on the Floor.
Mr. Chairman, I have been very pleased with the tremendous degree of cooperation between our two Committees. Your staff, especially Angela Ellard and Steven Schrage, has been responsive and thoughtful, and my staff very much appreciates their support and teamwork. I hope that you will give my request serious consideration and I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Richard W. Pombo,
Chairman.
COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Washington, DC, July 13, 2006.
Hon. RICHARD W. POMBO,
Chairman, Committee on Resources, Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC.
DEAR CHAIRMAN POMBO: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 4075, the ``Marine Mammal Protection Act Amendments of 2006,'' which is scheduled for floor consideration during the week of July 17th.
As you noted, the Committee on Ways and Means maintains jurisdiction over trade measures. H.R. 4075, as amended, includes text which falls within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means. However, in order to expedite this bill for floor consideration, the Committee will forgo action. This is being done with the understanding that it does not in any way prejudice the Committee with respect to the appointment of conferees or its jurisdictional prerogatives on this bill or similar legislation in the future.
I appreciate your cooperation in this matter and agree to your offer to include this exchange of letters in the Congressional Record during floor consideration.
Best regards,
Bill Thomas,
Chairman.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE,
Washington, DC, December 7, 2006.
Hon. RICHARD W. POMBO,
Chairman, Committee on Resources, Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC.
DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I am writing regarding the jurisdictional interest of the Science Committee in H.R. 5946 as amended by the Senate, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006. The Science Committee has primary jurisdiction over Title VIII, Tsunami Warning and Education, the text of which is identical to H.R. 1674, the Tsunami Warning and Education Act, as passed by the House on December 6, 2006. In addition, the Science Committee has jurisdiction over Section 211, Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program, and Section 701, Study of the Acidification of the Oceans and Effect on Fisheries. Sections 211 and 701 both involve ``marine research'' that is clearly within the jurisdiction of the Science Committee. The study required by Section 701 also involves ``environmental research and development'' within the jurisdiction of the Science Committee.
The Science Committee recognizes the importance of H.R. 5946 and the need for the legislation to move expeditiously. Therefore, I will not stand in the way of floor consideration. This, of course, is conditional on our mutual understanding that nothing in this legislation or my decision to allow the bill to come to the floor waives, reduces or otherwise affects the jurisdiction of the Science Committee, and that a copy of this letter and your letter in response will be included in the Congressional Record when the bill is considered on the House Floor.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Sherwood Boehlert,
Chairman.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES,
Washington, DC, December 7, 2006.
Hon. SHERWOOD BOEHLERT,
Chairman, Committee on Science, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC.
DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you for agreeing to allow the Senate amendments to H.R. 5946, to authorize appropriations to the Secretary of Commerce for the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act for fiscal years 2007 through 2013, to be considered by the House of Representatives. I concur in your assessment that the Committee on Science would have primary jurisdiction over Title VIII of the Senate amendments, as this is the text of your bill, H.R. 1674, the United States Tsunami Warning and Education Act, referred exclusively to the Committee on Science. I also concur that the Committee on Science would have a jurisdictional interest in section 211, the deep sea coral research and technology program, as well as section 701, study of the acidification of the oceans and its effect on fisheries.
By allowing this bill to be scheduled, I agree that the Committee on Science has not waived its jurisdiction over the measures included in H.R. 5946, nor should this action be taken as precedent for other bills. I would be pleased to include this letter and your December 7, 2006, letter on H.R. 5946 in the Congressional Record during debate on the bill.
Thank you again for your cooperation on this matter, and I look forward to seeing H.R. 5946 enacted soon.
Sincerely,
Richard W. Pombo,
Chairman.
I also want to thank Chairman HENRY HYDE of the International Relations Committee for agreeing to waive jurisdiction on the polar bear provisions. I also appreciate the cooperation of Chairman King of Homeland Security and Chairman Barton of the Energy and Commerce Committee in helping to clear this bill.
Finally, on behalf of Chairman Pombo and myself and former Chairman Don Young, I want to thank Dave Whaley, Bonnie Bruce, two committee members on the Resources Committee who worked tirelessly on this bill for many years. Without their expertise and persistence, we would not be here today. I would also like to thank my personal staff, Edith Thompson, for her work on this bill.
I urge an ``aye'' vote on H.R. 5946.
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