[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 140 (Thursday, August 6, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5241-S5242]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 494

  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I wanted to come down and speak today 
about a very important sector of the economy for Alaska and for 
America--that is, our fishermen--and some important, very bipartisan 
legislation that I am trying to move right now that I am hopeful 
everybody can agree to. The Senate has agreed to it previously, and I 
am really hopeful that we can do it again right now.
  I talk about the great State of Alaska being the superpower of 
seafood. Over 60 percent of all seafood--commercial, recreational--
harvested in America comes from my great State. Sixty percent. So this 
is a vital industry in my State but also a vital industry in the 
country.
  As my colleagues know, our fishermen are some of the hardest working 
Americans. They are also some of the Americans who have been hit the 
hardest by this pandemic. The Saltonstall-Kennedy Act helps these hard-
working men and women across the country by providing consistent 
funding for fisheries research and development and related programs, 
grant programs--very popular.
  Decades ago, Congress authorized a group of experts from all around 
the country--Alaska, the east coast--and vessel owners, fishermen, and 
distributors to advise the Secretary of Commerce on how to distribute 
these funds. It makes sense. They are the closest to the action. Over 
time, unfortunately, this group was disbanded. Nobody thought that was 
a good idea--abolishing this advisory committee.
  Then you had the National Marine Fisheries essentially determine how 
all of these Saltonstall-Kennedy funds would be distributed to 
fishermen. So, with all due respect to the DC bureaucrats, they are the 
ones making the decisions.
  So we have a bill--my bill--which, by the way, passed the Senate 
previously, unanimously, that members in the fishing community from all 
over the country be chosen to determine how to get these funds out to 
our fishermen, whether in New York or North Carolina or Alaska, and 
everybody thinks that makes sense.
  Our fishermen need support right now; there is no doubt. They are 
being hammered by this pandemic. So the legislation that I am hopefully 
going to be able to pass in the Senate here in a couple of minutes has 
cosponsors across a broad political spectrum in the Senate: Senators 
Cantwell, Markey, Warren, Murkowski, and myself.
  I am aware of no policy objections to this important piece of 
legislation. To the contrary, it has already passed the Senate 
unanimously. I am, however, aware of an unrelated dispute between the 
Democratic leader and some of my Senate colleagues from the east coast 
regarding an entirely different bill. I respect disagreements over 
regional issues, and I certainly hope my colleagues can work them out, 
but this issue is thousands of miles away from Alaska and my 
constituents, the people I represent, who are hurting.
  Moreover, the bill I am getting ready to introduce, S. 494, helps all 
fishermen nationwide--New York, North Carolina, Alaska.
  The American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act, S. 494, should not be 
collateral damage or hostage taken in an unrelated fight. If my 
colleagues want to try and work together, I will certainly help them 
work out their differences, but I don't think it is constructive to 
hold hostage this important legislation for a fight that is thousands 
of miles away from Alaska.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of Calendar No. 179, S. 494; that the bill be 
considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Objection.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The Senator from New York.
  Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I ask 
unanimous consent that the request be modified so that in addition to 
the request of the Senator from Alaska, the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of Calendar No. 317, S. 908, the Fluke Fairness 
Act.
  I request that the bill be read a third time and passed and that 
motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the modification?
  Mr. TILLIS. Reserving the right to object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina.
  Mr. TILLIS. Mr. President, I have been in the Senate now for 5\1/2\ 
years, and I don't consider somebody a better friend, an advocate for 
his State than Senator Sullivan. I have actually spent a lot of time--
even though Senator Gillibrand and I have differences in certain 
situations, we find ways to work together.
  What I have before me, though, is something that is very important 
for people to understand. I agree with everything Senator Sullivan 
said. His measure, I suspect, has broad support, probably support on 
its own. But what we have here is the addition by the motion of Senator 
Gillibrand that affects my State, North Carolina. It has to do with 
reallocation of quotas. It would particularly affect the flounder 
industry in North Carolina.
  I hope that we are able to work out our differences. I hope that we 
can get Senator Sullivan's bill passed. But because it has been amended 
to include something that hurts my fisheries in North Carolina and my 
commercial fishermen at the worst possible time, when they are 
suffering like everybody else from the COVID-19 crisis and all the 
challenges that that produces, I do object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Is there objection to the original request?
  Mrs. GILLIBRAND. I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The Senator from Alaska.
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, while I am disappointed, these are two 
good friends of mine on the Senate floor right now, whom I have worked 
with on numerous pieces of legislation. They both represent their 
States very well, but this is a missed opportunity for the fishermen of 
America--America, not

[[Page S5242]]

just Alaska but for the whole country, New York, North Carolina. And I 
am certainly hopeful that my good friend from New York and North 
Carolina can work this out.
  I will certainly lend my efforts, my staff's efforts, because we 
shouldn't have a regional fight blocking what will benefit everybody, 
particularly when fishermen right now are really hurting. They are one 
of the sectors of the U.S. economy that have been hammered by this 
pandemic. This kind of legislation, although it is not going to solve 
all their problems, shows that we are working for them.
  We will live to fight another day here soon. I hope that we are able 
to pass my legislation, commonsense legislation--the American Fisheries 
Advisory Committee Act--which will help every fisherman in America.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Hawaii

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