[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 85 (Monday, June 24, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


       NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM ACT AMENDMENTS OF 2002

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                               speech of

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 19, 2002

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3389) to 
     reauthorize the National Sea Grant College Program Act, and 
     for other purposes:

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3389, 
the National Sea Grant Program Act, which authorizes Sea Grant through 
fiscal year 2008. This legislation, which I am pleased to cosponsor, 
reaffirms federal support for essential marine research programs. I 
wish to thank the members of the Science and Resources Committees, who 
have collaborated to craft legislation that will encourage significant 
developments in marine research in the coming decade.
  Sea Grant is particularly important to the state of Rhode Island, 
whose history and economy have been tied to the ocean since our 
earliest days. The University of Rhode Island, one of the premier Sea 
Grant institutions in the United States, has strengthened this bond by 
delving deeper into the ocean's complexities and enriching us with 
their findings. I am proud of their impressive accomplishments and will 
continue my efforts to vigoroulsy advocate full federal support for Sea 
Grant.
  I am particularly pleased that the committees of jurisdiction did not 
move Sea Grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
(NOAA) to the National Science Foundation (NSF), as recommended by the 
Bush Administration. While I have nothing but the greatest respect for 
the NSF's work, Sea Grant's research is noteworthy because of its 
immediate practical application through NOAA and other Department of 
Commerce agencies. URI's work in the fields of fisheries management, 
biotechnology, aquaculture, and marine security has helped business 
leaders, educators, and policy advocates when considering complicated 
maritime issues. Furthermore, URI's educational outreach efforts, 
especially in grades K-12, demonstrate Sea Grant's effectiveness not 
only at undertaking state-of-the-art research, but also in cultivating 
future generations' interest in ocean and environmental science.
  I urge my colleagues to support this measure today so that our 
universities and scientific institutions will be able to build upon 
their successes with the Sea Grant program.

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