Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. CICILLINE. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Byrne amendment, which would prohibit implementation of the National Ocean Policy, which permits better coordination among Federal agencies responsible for coastal planning.

This amendment, by preventing agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers from coordinating with Federal and State partners, would impede States like Rhode Island, my home State, from managing their own resources in the ways that best fit their needs and priorities, and advancing policies that protect our oceans in a responsible way.

The administration has made it clear that the National Ocean Policy does not create new regulations, supersede current regulations, or modify any agency's established mission, jurisdiction, or authority. Rather, it helps coordinate the implementation of existing regulations by Federal agencies to establish a more efficient and effective decisionmaking process.

In the Northeast, our Regional Ocean Council has allowed States to pool resources and businesses to have a voice in decisionmaking, and has coordinated with Federal partners to ensure all stakeholders have a voice in the process.

Allowing Federal agencies to coordinate implementation of over 100 ocean laws and giving States and local governments a voice in the ocean planning process is smart public policy, and I urge my colleagues to rejects this very misguided amendment.

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