[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 9, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H4262-H4266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WORLD OCEAN DAY
Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 1330) recognizing June 8, 2010, as World Ocean Day,
as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1330
Whereas in 2008, the United Nations General Assembly
decided that, as of 2009, June 8 would be designated by the
United Nations as ``World Ocean Day'';
Whereas many countries have celebrated World Ocean Day
following the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, which was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in
1992;
Whereas World Ocean Day allows us the yearly opportunity to
pay tribute to the ocean for what it provides;
Whereas we have an individual and collective duty, both
nationally and internationally, to protect, conserve,
maintain, and rebuild our ocean and its resources;
Whereas our present ocean stewardship is necessary to
provide for current and future generations;
Whereas the world depends on the health of our ocean for a
full range of ecological, economic, educational, scientific,
social, cultural, nutritional, and recreational benefits;
Whereas the ocean is linked to adaptation to climate and
other environmental change, foreign policy, and national and
homeland security;
Whereas we must ensure accountability for our actions, and
serve as a model country promoting balanced, productive,
efficient, sustainable, and informed ocean, coastal, and
Great Lakes use, management, and conservation within the
global community; and
Whereas our ocean is in need of strong policies that
support ecosystem-based management, coastal and marine
spatial planning, informed science-based decision making and
improved understanding, government coordination, regional
ecosystem protection and restoration, enhanced water quality
and sustainable practices on land, changing conditions in the
Arctic as well as ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes
observations and infrastructure: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes
World Ocean Day.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Chu) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform, I'm happy to rise in support of House Resolution 1330. This
measure recognizes June 8, 2010, as World Ocean Day.
World Ocean Day offers the opportunity to celebrate the wonders of
the underwater world and look carefully at our interactions with the
sea.
The timing of this measure is critical. Today we find ourselves in
the midst of the worst ocean oil disaster in our Nation's history. With
our addiction to oil jeopardizing the vibrant and economically vital
marine life of America's seas, we are being reminded daily of the
often-forgotten value of
[[Page H4263]]
these resources and our responsibility to protect them.
The world's oceans cover more than 70 percent of our planet's
surface, and the rich web of life that they support is the result of
hundreds of millions of years of evolution. Great human civilizations,
from the Egyptians to the Polynesians, relied on the sea for commerce
and transport.
And now, in the 21st century, our fate is as tied to the oceans as
ever. We still rely on fish for a significant portion of our daily
protein needs. And more than $500 billion of the world's economy is
tied to ocean-based industries, such as coastal tourism and shipping.
But all is not well in the sea. Increased pressures from overfishing,
habitat destruction, pollution, and introduction of invasive alien
species have combined in recent decades to threaten the diversity of
life in our oceans.
The first observance of World Ocean Day will allow us to highlight
the many ways in which oceans contribute to society. It is also an
opportunity to recognize the considerable challenges we face in
maintaining the capacity to regulate global climate, supply essential
ecosystem services, and provide sustainable livelihoods and safe
recreation.
As the oil continues to spill into the gulf, it is time to recognize
a World Ocean Day and take the first critical steps to saving this
vital resource.
House Resolution 1330 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman
from California, Representative Sam Farr, on May 5, 2010. The measure
was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which
ordered it reported favorably by unanimous consent on May 20, 2010. The
measure has the support of over 50 Members of the House.
I thank the gentleman from California for introducing this measure,
and I'd also like to thank Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Issa for
their support for the bill. I urge my colleagues to support this
measure.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1330,
recognizing June 8, 2010, as World Ocean Day.
It is particularly fitting that today this resolution gives us the
opportunity to take some time and appreciate the beauty of our oceans
and to think about ways that we can work to protect our oceans for
generations to come.
All Americans, as well as people from around the world, realize the
importance of oceans. Millions of people enjoy playing, boating,
surfing, fishing, or simply being along the beachscape and along our
oceans. Oceans fascinate many children who learn about the interesting
aspects of the oceans and the animals that live under the sea.
Certainly, in light of the national crisis that is currently
occurring in the gulf with the oil leak, this resolution gives us
context in which to understand the risks from the delayed response that
is occurring to stop the leak in the gulf.
We rely on oceans every day for our regular way of life. Oceans
provide thousands of jobs for fishermen, sailors, and many other
professions. All Americans are served by oceans in numerous ways,
including for food and transport for the vast array of goods that are
transported by cargo ships across oceans.
Mr. Speaker, our oceans are an incredibly precious resource, and we
should protect them for the future. I ask that my colleagues join in
support of this resolution.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
California, Representative Farr.
{time} 1130
Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution, which I
sponsored with many other Members of Congress. And I would first of all
like to thank the committee and the leadership they provided in a
bipartisan fashion to bring this bill to the floor.
As has been stated, the ocean is our largest public trust. It covers
two-thirds of the planet. It's responsible for one-third of the total
gross domestic product of the United States. It is closely linked to
our day-to-day activities and, frankly, to the success of our Nation.
Tom Friedman said, ``A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.'' We
cannot let the crisis that has happened in the gulf pass us by. We've
faced disasters in this country before, and we have moved to act. After
Rachel Carson wrote ``Silent Spring'' in 1962, and the Santa Barbara
oil spill happened in 1969, the environmental movement took a strong
hold in the United States. Congress followed up by adopting the Clean
Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act in
short order. We will debate the acts that we have to take following the
crisis in the gulf, but today we are joined in unanimous thought that
the ocean is important, and it warrants its recognition.
We might say it's a very salty week here in Washington. June is the
National Oceans Month. This week is the Capitol Hill Oceans Week, where
members of the ocean interests and science community come to Washington
to petition their government. And yesterday was World Ocean Day. For
over a month now, the Nation has been experiencing the worst marine
disaster in history.
World Ocean Day was first recognized in 1992's Earth Summit in Rio de
Janeiro, and has been celebrated unofficially ever since. The United
Nations took official recognition of the day last year. I am proud to
lead the effort here in Congress this year.
The resolution that we are adopting emphasizes we have an individual
and collective duty, both nationally and internationally, to be ocean
stewards. The resolution also petitions the President to set priorities
using his Ocean Policy Task Force. I will continue in my role as
representing the coast of California and one of the marine science
leading geography areas in the world of marine science to bring to this
floor issues important to the ocean. But right now I want to join my
colleagues in celebrating that we all agree that it's important to
recognize the oceans.
Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, as Congress takes this time to recognize
World Ocean Day, I think it is absolutely appropriate for us to ask the
administration for answers on the gulf oil leak and the tragedy that is
occurring there. I think the American people are outraged, and they
want to know how did this happen, they want to know how is it going to
be stopped, and how is it going to be cleaned up. I think the
administration needs to tell us what their game plan is and what their
actions are.
Currently, it is as if the administration is merely telling what BP
is saying. And I think the American people want to know, and as
Congress takes this action, it would be appropriate for the
administration to step forward and say how did this happen, how are we
going to stop this, and how are we going to clean it up, and how are we
going to make certain this doesn't happen again. I know that in Ohio
people look down to the gulf with just outrage of the risk that is
occurring to wildlife, our beaches. And they want to know what is this
administration going to do, what is the plan, and how is this going to
be stopped.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Garamendi).
Mr. GARAMENDI. Congressman Farr, thank you for your leadership on
this. This is not a new issue for you. I remember your days in the
California legislature, where you carried such legislation. You do
represent one of the most pristine and one of the most precious parts
of the California coast, the Monterey Bay. Therefore, it's appropriate
for you to carry and it's appropriate for this Congress to act on this
resolution, recognizing World Ocean Day and, beyond that, recognizing
the critical importance of oceans to all of us.
It is the birthplace of life. It is the place where we find our
climate, our oxygen, a lot of our food, and our commerce. It's also the
place that we have over the years trashed. Trash is flowing into the
ocean, sewage is flowing into the ocean, pollution of all kinds, and
now the ultimate pollution of a blowout of an oil well in the Gulf of
Mexico.
It's time for us to not only pay attention to the ocean, which this
resolution does; it's also time for us to protect the oceans. We know
that climate change,
[[Page H4264]]
the increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is leading to the
acidification of oceans. And that will kill much of the life of the
ocean if it were to continue to increase.
What are we doing about it? Well, we are recognizing it today. We
will take this as step one. Yes, the administration needs to be
forthcoming with information. But we also need to rein in the oil
industry and make sure that any drilling in the oceans is done in a
maximum safe way. For the west coast, I have authored the West Coast
Ocean Protection Act that would prohibit new leases off the west coast
of California, Oregon, and Washington. That is the maximum protection.
More needs to be done. This is a starting point.
This is a recognition of our responsibility as Members of Congress to
take action not only with a resolution recognizing this day, but with
solid laws that require the protection and provide the protection
necessary for the ocean.
Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, again as we take up this resolution for
World Ocean Day, America has questions for this administration on how
they are going to stop this leak, how we are going to protect our
oceans and the wildlife, and how this is going to be cleaned up.
You know, most administrations when they take office say, We are
ready for the job day one. Well, day one was a year-and-a-half ago, and
we still have a crisis in the gulf, and people want to know, Well,
where is the administration? We are on day 51 of the leak down in the
gulf. Day 51.
Perhaps in addition to World Ocean Day, every day Congress should
pass a resolution proclaiming a day in honor of the tragedy that's
occurring down in the gulf. Day 51 and we still don't have an answer,
we don't know how this is going to be stopped, we don't know what the
administration's plans are, and we don't know what the administration's
plans are for cleaning this up.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio
(Mr. Kucinich).
Mr. KUCINICH. I thank the gentlelady for yielding.
I rise in support of the resolution, June 8 as World Ocean Day. But
for the past 50 days, and for the next 6 months at least, every other
day is going to be ``ruin our oceans day.''
We like to think, well, this is all about BP. I think we have to go a
little bit further. We have to understand that we have been pursuing a
way of life that is not sustainable. It's not sustainable for us as
human beings; it's not sustainable for our planet.
So we can be here today to talk about the oceans, and we should; but
we have to keep in mind, Mr. Speaker, that our oceans receive billions
of gallons of runoff flows, pesticides, metals like mercury and lead,
massive amounts of fertilizer, volatile organic compounds, countless
other chemicals. Even before the Deepwater disaster, this runoff caused
the single biggest dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
Our oceans are absorbing the malfeasance of oil companies who are not
only responsible for at least three separate major oil gushers as we
speak, but are responsible as being one of two major contributors
causing climate change. And we are subsidizing them with taxpayers'
money. Our oceans are absorbing the malfeasance of coal companies, the
other major fossil fuel contributor to climate change. For decades the
oceans have been our repository for the greenhouse gases that come
mostly from the burning of fossil fuel. The result is that oceans have
grown more acidic. Coral is dying; underwater temperature patterns are
shifting, undermining entire ecosystems.
There are signs our oceans have reached the limit. Some studies
indicate oceans won't be able to absorb any more, if any, greenhouse
gases out of the atmosphere. That only increases the urgency with which
we must act to achieve a carbon-free and even nuclear-free energy
portfolio.
But the ultimate challenge that we have about upholding the
environmental integrity of our oceans comes because we have really
disassociated ourselves from nature. We see nature as being out there.
We see nature as not even being a part of us. And because we are
avoiding our responsibility to protect God's creation, the price we are
going to be paying in the future will keep getting higher: oceans that
are poisoned, a planet ruined, and all of life threatened with
extinction.
So we can keep temporizing about what's going on in the gulf, but the
fact of the matter is that sooner or later we must come to an
accounting with the kind of energy that we are using and the damage it
does to the environment and to the human race and all other life on the
planet.
Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Mr. Kucinich from Ohio's
comments on the issues of how we need to look at how we are treating
the environment. And as we are into day 51 of this crisis in the gulf,
Congress has begun to have hearings, the House and the Senate, asking
questions about what happened. But I think the administration needs to
come forward and give some serious answers to the American people. As
people look to the news and to the Web cams of the leak, they want to
know from this administration what's the answer. How is this going to
be stopped? How is this going to be addressed? How is it going to be
cleaned up?
Fifty-one days into this, we don't know yet how this is going to be
stopped or what manner by which it should be stopped. We are still
listening to BP give us the answers instead of the administration
telling us, well, what is the standard? What should be happening? How
should we be protecting the coast?
And it makes you wonder, a year-and-a-half into this administration,
well, how are we doing on the other oil rigs that are there? Is this
administration prepared in determining whether or not the other oil
rigs currently represent a threat? What inspections are they doing?
What compliance are they doing?
As Congress passes World Ocean Day, the administration should pause
and turn to the American people and give us some answers as to what
their response is going to be to this 51 days into a terrible crisis
down in the gulf.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon
(Mr. Blumenauer).
Mr. BLUMENAUER. I am intrigued with my colleague from Ohio's
approach, because when the other team was in charge, we had a series of
programs that undercut the ability to have government equipped moving
forward: the scandals in the MMS, the appointment of people literally
from the industry to sort of look at their former colleagues, people
who were literally in bed with the people that they were supposed to
regulate.
A series of efforts, the litany that we have heard from our
colleagues when they were in charge was to cut back on regulation, to
move it faster, to do more drill, baby, drill. And with all due
respect, I think looking at the history of 10 years of moving in the
other direction, to now somehow fault the administration, who inherited
an unparalleled economic collapse, problems with EPA, with MMS around
the whole array of areas that are a consequence of policies that were
put in place by our friends on the other side of the aisle.
I feel it's somewhat ironic that we are celebrating Ocean Day on the
51st day of the disaster. I am hopeful that it is an area that we are
not somehow going to spend--I am happy to go toe to toe with my friend
in terms of what the Republicans did and their policies to strip the
Federal Government of the ability to move forward, but I think what we
need to do is talk about where we are going forward to reduce our
reliance on imported oil and domestically produced fossil fuels.
We need to move to a cleaner, greener approach, where we have more
energy efficiency. We absolutely need to be aggressive in making sure
that the laws are enforced. We need to have people who stop being
apologists for the industry, whether it's BP or mining disasters, and
move forward with a new era of more efficient-energy use, and respect
for the oceans.
I am honored to be on the floor with my colleague Mr. Farr, who has
been a champion for as long as I have been in Congress in this area
that deserves far more attention, far more resources, far more work on
the part of the Congress.
I would hope that respect for the oceans, that research and
protections
[[Page H4265]]
would be something that brings us together so that not only do we avoid
disasters like this in the future, but we are able to do a better job
with the wide range of areas that are going to make such a difference
for the future of the planet.
Mr. TURNER. With all due respect to the gentleman from Oregon, since
the Democrats have been in charge of the House for the past 3\1/2\
years, if there were any regulatory or legislative issues or
resolutions that needed to be passed, certainly we would have seen
those and they would have moved forward out of this House.
Unfortunately, what we see out of this House is a resolution for World
Ocean Day, a resolution for World Ocean Day while we have this crisis
going on down in the gulf and the administration is still not giving us
answers as to how is this going to be addressed.
{time} 1145
The big question that everybody has in the news is not what is BP
doing or what is it going to be doing next or is the fix that they
currently are pursuing going to work, but what is this administration's
answer to how this should be addressed, what should be done. This
administration has been in office for 1\1/2\ years. This crisis has
been going on for 51 days. Surely in the past 51 days the
administration should be able to step forward and give the American
people a clear answer as to how did this happen, how is it going to be
stopped, and how are we going to clean this up. This is something that
I think everyone, as we pause for World Ocean Day, would certainly
pause for those answers.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
California, Congresswoman Capps.
Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding, and I
rise today to express my strong support for H. Res. 1330, a resolution
recognizing June 8 as World Ocean Day.
I want to thank my colleague and dear friend Sam Farr, who represents
a neighboring district to mine on the central coast of California, for
introducing this important resolution of which I am a proud cosponsor.
We are a water planet, Mr. Speaker. The oceans cover 71 percent of
the Earth's surface and contain 97 percent of the planet's water. They
regulate our climate. They regulate our weather. We depend on them for
the air we breathe, for protein in our diets, for our quality of life.
Yesterday, the international community celebrated World Ocean Day.
Now, more than ever, it is time for us to pay tribute to our oceans and
to their resources.
Two national commissions have found our oceans are under increasing
pressure. They are showing signs of serious decline from oxygen-
deprived dead zones to depleted fish populations to contaminated beach
waters, and now we must add a massive oil spill to the list. This
disastrous gulf oil spill is the worst environmental disaster in our
Nation's history.
There is no doubt our addiction to oil jeopardizes the vibrant and
economically important marine life of our world's oceans. We are being
reminded every day of the often-forgotten value of these resources, and
it's our responsibility to protect them.
A national ocean policy is needed, Mr. Speaker, perhaps now more than
ever. Such a policy would ensure that activities occurring off our
shores, like offshore drilling, that these activities meet the basic
requirements of protecting, maintaining, and restoring our ocean
ecosystems and resources. President Obama has already erected a task
force to develop, with public input, recommendations for a national
ocean policy, which are expected soon. This is an important first step
that will better protect our oceans.
But there's another step that Congress can take. So I urge my
colleagues to join with me not only in supporting this important
resolution recognizing World Ocean Day, but as our colleague from
Oregon has just stated, moving forward, taking the collective
responsibility, the stewardship that we share to defend and care for
our water planet.
Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, the prior speaker indicated that the
President has pulled together a task force for a national ocean policy
and is looking for public input. I think we know what that public input
is. It's, Mr. President, tell the American people how this leak is
going to be stopped. Tell us how this cleanup is going to occur, and
tell us how this is going to be avoided in the future. The public input
is, Stop the leak.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CHU. I now yield 3 minutes to the author of this resolution,
Representative Farr, the gentleman from California.
Mr. FARR. I appreciate the support for this bill on both sides of the
aisle.
I would just like to address that although the resolved clause is
very simple, it recognizes for the first time that Congress recognizes
for the first time that we ought to recognize a day when the whole
world is trying to recognize the ocean. I mean, it does cover two-
thirds of our planet, and it is very important to the ecosystem and the
health and well-being of mankind to have a healthy ocean.
And that's, you know, in a way, as the minority speaker said, that's
not a big deal when there's a huge crisis going on, but it's the first
time Congress has recognized the ocean in that sense. So it is
important as a first step. I think what's more important and answers
some of the questions that you raise, not just the questions of cleanup
in the gulf but a much bigger question that a lot of us in Congress
have been asking, is: Where is our national ocean policy?
We have had policy about clean water and how we want to govern that
and set up a process for determining how we can ensure that water that
we drink and that we disperse into the oceans is clean. We have
national policy on air quality of the air we breathe, but we have no
national policy on health of the oceans or even use of the oceans for
fishing, for mining, for other kinds of purposes. And that is what's
lacking.
We're governing in a crisis because we have an oil spill. And what I
respect the committee in doing in their unanimous consent is looking at
these ``whereases'' in this bill that really calls for these bigger
policies so that we don't get into this problematic area, kind of going
at things blindly. And I think that's what really the importance is
here.
This bill coming at this time--it was introduced before the oil spill
began but certainly has developed a lot of popularity because people
want to say, Yes, we do recognize the oceans. And I think this is a
first start for Congress to really look at a comprehensive package of
issues.
We can go into the debates, going to get into a lot of things you
heard today. But it's very important that we together, in a unanimous,
bipartisan way, look at the fact that the ocean is a very critical
resource to the well-being of the world, much less the well-being of
the United States. And I appreciate the bipartisan support to bring
this bill to the floor, and I ask that we have a unanimous vote on it.
Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, as Congress takes up World Ocean Day, we are
51 days into a crisis in the gulf where this administration, 1\1/2\
years into this administration, still has not provided the American
people with answers as to how will this leak be stopped, how will this
be cleaned up, how will this be avoided in the future. The American
people, as we take up World Ocean Day, pause, looking at the 51 days of
the continuing crisis in the gulf, and look for answers.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution
1330, introduced by my colleague Mr. Sam Farr of California. The
Resolution calls upon the United States to recognize World Oceans Day,
where we pay tribute to the oceans for what it provides and recognize
our duty to protect, conserve, maintain, and rebuild our ocean and its
resources so it may continue to be enjoyed by future generations.
As the Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and
Wildlife, I fully support House Resolution 1330, which brings attention
to the importance of our world's oceans in our cultural, social,
economic and scientific life. Since 1992, the world has celebrated
World Oceans Day, with the first celebrated at the Earth Summit in Rio
de Janeiro. This year's theme, ``Oceans of Life,'' is fitting as our
oceans contain great biodiversity that sustain our human population.
The people in my home district of Guam fully understand the
significance of our oceans. As an island community in the Western
Pacific, our economy relies on the natural beauty of our beaches to
support our tourism industry. Understanding that our beaches
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allow both residents and tourists to engage in recreational activities,
the people of Guam remain responsible environmental stewards. The
oceans surrounding Guam, which continue to sustain life on the island,
are a central part of Chamorro culture. This appreciation of the ocean
by all of Guam's residents is rooted in an understanding that it is
important to protect our natural resources, which include our coral
reefs, fish and marine life.
Unfortunately, the health of our oceans is threatened at all levels.
From climate change affecting our ocean's biodiversity to the most
recent oil disaster in the Gulf Coast, we must continue to work to
address these issues so that future generations are able to experience
the educational, recreational and economic benefits of our world's
oceans.
With that, I ask all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to
support House Resolution 1330, recognizing World Ocean Day.
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1330, a
resolution recognizing June 8 as World Ocean Day. Hawaii is the only
state in the nation that is surrounded entirely by ocean, giving us a
unique appreciation for the vast resource that is the Pacific Ocean.
Almost every household good in Hawaii was shipped over the ocean. Our
state's economy relies on our harbors--large and small--and the beaches
that draw visitors to Hawaii. The ocean provides recreational
activities such as surfing, swimming, and fishing for our residents and
visitors to enjoy. It would be difficult to find an aspect of life in
Hawaii that is not somehow affected by the Pacific Ocean.
The Native Hawaiian culture is also deeply tied to the ocean.
Polynesian explorers discovered Hawaii traveling tremendous distance in
canoes, long before the so-called ``discovery'' of Hawaii by Captain
Cook. The Kumulipo chant, known as the Hawaiian creation chant, places
the origin of life in the oceans, beginning with the coral polyp.
Hawaii is home to the world's most ancient seal, the Hawaiian monk
seal. My district includes the largest marine protected area in the
United States, the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, as well as one of the most important
breeding grounds for the endangered Humpback Whale.
The people of Hawaii have always relied on the ocean, but the
situation in the Gulf Coast illustrates that the oceans belong to the
world. Countries have political boundaries, but the ocean and its
denizens do not. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has devastated
that region and now threatens the entire East Coast because of the Loop
Current, the Gulf Stream, and other ocean currents.
People in landlocked states also depend on the oceans, which absorb
up to a quarter of the world's carbon dioxide. As humans have increased
their carbon dioxide output in recent decades, the ocean has grown
increasingly acidic. Over the last five years, we have learned that
this acidification endangers coral, algae, shellfish, and other small
organisms that support the base of the food chain.
What happens to the ocean happens to the world. Whether landlocked or
surrounded by ocean, we all depend on the benefits of healthy oceans.
Fish stocks, ocean currents, and carbon dioxide do not abide by
political boundaries. We, too, must work across our borders to unite
with other nations in order to be careful and conscientious stewards of
the ocean. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this
resolution to recognize June 8 as World Ocean Day.
H.R. 5278
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. PRESIDENT RONALD W. REAGAN POST OFFICE BUILDING.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 405 West Second Street in Dixon, Illinois,
shall be known and designated as the ``President Ronald W.
Reagan Post Office Building''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be
a reference to the ``President Ronald W. Reagan Post Office
Building''.
Mr. TURNER. I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in
supporting this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1330, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not
present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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