[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 10071-10072]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            HOLD ON S. 2012

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, up and down the coast of Oregon, fishermen, 
their families and communities are suffering from the actions of the 
Secretary of Commerce in curtailing the Klamath salmon fishery without 
offering the assistance they need to cope

[[Page 10072]]

with this disaster. Months ago the Pacific Fishery Management Council 
recommended to the Secretary of Commerce that this salmon fishery be 
drastically curtailed. The Secretary responded to the Council's 
recommendation by slashing the quotas and limiting the number of days 
and areas that could be fished. But despite numerous pleas for help 
from the affected communities, the Secretary has done nothing for 
months and months to help out the fishers whose livelihood depends on 
the Klamath salmon stocks.
  The Secretary's continued inaction is not acceptable, and so I am 
objecting to any unanimous consent request for the Senate to proceed to 
or adopt S. 2012, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Reauthorization Act of 2005 until the Senate can consider 
legislative steps that will help fishermen in Oregon and California 
survive this disastrous fishing season. I make this objection 
consistent with my policy of always announcing ``holds'' I may place on 
legislation or nominations.
  The State of Oregon is seeking a Presidential emergency declaration 
for those affected by this Federal action, and I intend to work closely 
with the State and my colleagues here in the Senate to make sure 
Oregon's fishing communities are not forgotten and that they receive 
the aid they will require to make it through this year.

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