[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 7956-7957]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     FISHING IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of 
the American recreational fishermen that, like myself and my family, 
used to have the opportunity to fish for red snapper in the Federal 
waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
  I can't help but think how sad it is that we have people in here 
articulating why illegal drugs should be made legal while we continue 
to allow Federal agencies to take away the rights of the American 
sportsmen and the men and the women who just want to take their kids 
fishing.
  Maybe if we spent more time outdoors fishing and hunting, we wouldn't 
have the problems that we have in this country with drugs.
  Now, technically, Mr. Speaker, we still have the right to fish in the 
Gulf of Mexico in the Federal waters, as long as you can do it in the 
crumb of the season that has been left for the recreational fishermen.
  Dr. Roy Crabtree and the National Marine Fisheries Services have left 
a 10-day season for the not-for-hire recreational angler who just wants 
to take his or her kid fishing, 10 days.
  In 2007, Mr. Speaker--if you want to know how fast this has gone 
downhill--we got to fish 194 days; so, in the short span of about 8 
years, they have taken 95 percent of the opportunity of the American 
sportsmen to fish in the Gulf of Mexico's Federal waters for red 
snapper away from them.
  When they started the reductions, they promised that, as soon as the 
stock was restored, the season would be restored. Now, they give us the 
excuse: Well, because there are so many of them and they are so much 
bigger, you are catching that many that much faster.
  You see, Mr. Speaker, this makes no sense. The commercial fishermen, 
ships, long lines and winches, and their powerful lobbyists, they get 
to fish year round for the same species. Dr. Roy Crabtree and the 
others at the National Marine Fisheries Services again virtually 
eliminated the fishing season for the recreational angler, reducing it 
to 10 days.
  Now, I support the commercial fishing industry. I like to buy a piece 
of red snapper at the restaurant. I like to buy it at the grocery 
store. There is plenty of fish out there for all of us.
  The 10 days that we have as recreational anglers--if it is bad 
weather, well, that is just too bad. If you have got to work that day, 
well, that is just too bad. You see, they pick the days. You don't get 
to pick the days, Mr. Speaker; and, if you can't fish on that day, that 
is just too bad for you. If you can afford it, the charter boat season 
now is 45 days.
  Now, I will just tell you, I have never seen this much bias in 
anything I have ever done, especially in the rulemaking process, unless 
someone is being bribed or blackmailed or had a personal financial 
interest in the rulemaking, which brings me to the next point.
  The vote to split the recreational season at the expense of the 
American angler, who just wants to fish with their family--not being 
forced to hire a charter boat--this was done by the Gulf Council on a 
split vote of 7 to 10 in which, according to news sources, 3 of the 
members that voted to do this didn't disclose that they sit on the 
board of a group that lobbies for the charter boat industry.
  Again, I support the charter boat industry, but the idea that someone 
could sit there and vote to make a season for themselves 45 days as 
long as you can you pay them to take you, but 10 days if you don't pay 
them--Mr. Speaker, to be quite honest, Federal law stipulates those 
with a conflict must disclose it and shall not vote on those issues 
where a conflict exists.
  The conduct of the National Marine Fisheries Services in allowing 
that vote is in direct contrast to the rights of the Americans who just 
want to fish in the Gulf of Mexico.
  I, for one, am not going to sit back and let this continue; and, when 
the CJS appropriations act is on the floor, Mr. Speaker, I hope that we 
have the opportunity to correct what I believe to be illegal actions by 
the National Marine Fisheries Services and Dr. Roy Crabtree.

                              {time}  1215
CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ODESSA PERMIAN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL 
                 TEAM'S FIRST STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Conaway) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 50th 
anniversary of Odessa Permian High School football team's first State 
championship title. As a member of that team, I am especially excited 
to gather with my teammates this weekend to look back over the 50 
years.
  They say everything is bigger in Texas, and high school football is 
no different.
  Mr. Speaker, when our team earned the title that bitterly cold 
December day, it was the start of one of the most storied high school 
football dynasties in Texas. We were led by the Texas coaching legend, 
Gene Mayfield, who was as tough as his reputation suggests. He was 
known for his motivational skills, and he could motivate. Coach 
Mayfield and the coaching staff did not inherit a State-championship-
caliber team that year; rather, through his influence and direction, he 
molded our team into something that many doubted we could ever become.
  His emphasis on preparation, competition, and expectation to win 
drove

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our team to demand more of each other. We suffered during his 
notoriously tough workouts. You could find our team running in the 
sandhills of Monahans Sandhills State Park or challenging each other 
with bicycle races, wrestling matches, or any of the other various 
events that he could find that would hone our competitive spirit and 
build a drive to win and a spirit to never quit.
  Mr. Speaker, unbeknownst to us as kids, the values Coach Mayfield was 
instilling in us that year would carry with us for the rest of our 
lives. He was teaching us more than how to be good football players; he 
was teaching us how to become men. I personally view Coach Mayfield as 
one of the most influential men in my life, and I believe that my 
teammates would say the same.
  It was through our shared experiences that our team bonded together. 
In 1965, it drove us to win, and we were seeing the fruits of our 
labors with each game night. Those experiences created relationships 
that have endured over five decades.
  This Friday, my teammates and I will gather to renew those bonds and 
reminisce, but also to become the recipients of this year's Odessa 
Permian High School Black Shirt Award. Every year, this award is given 
to a school organization, individual, or group that have achieved a 
standard of excellence and inspired a passion in the Permian High 
School alumni and student body.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have been a part of that historic season 
and to have played with some of the best teammates you could ever ask 
for.

                          ____________________