Golden Releases Statement After House Votes Down his Amendment to Slow New Regulations on Lobstermen
Golden’s amendment sought to slow down NOAA’s rushed process to improve upon its broken risk reduction tool
WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden's (ME-02)'s amendment to block new regulations on Maine lobstermen fell short of the majority support necessary for inclusion in the final bill yesterday evening. 13 Democrats and 71 Republicans joined Golden to support the provision.
"Today's vote showed just how dysfunctional Washington — and our politics — have become," said Congressman Golden. "Ahead of the vote, environmental groups sent out emails presenting a binary choice: save the whales or support the lobstermen. But most of us know it's not that simple. It should be possible to take steps to protect right whales and to work to limit the damage to lobstermen's livelihoods.
"NOAA's tool is flawed and the process used to develop the regulations was rushed. It is beyond my understanding why any professional would first take action, and only later carry out a peer review to determine if its actions were effective or necessary. That is a failed process and one that promises to deliver few positive results for right whales and big negative impacts for Maine lobstermen.
"The odds were long on this amendment, but the way it was voted down today makes my blood boil. Members of my party ignored the economic hardship this will have on lobstermen, which was easy for them since most of them don't represent any lobstermen. My Republican colleagues were no better. These actions are also frustrating given how often many lawmakers in both parties talk to me about how much they love to eat lobster.
"I care about the environment and about right whales, but I also care about the people I represent. For years now, Maine lobstermen have made sacrifices with almost no measurable effect on right whales. My amendment simply required the government to ensure the use of sound science and reliable data before it demands even more from our lobstermen. That shouldn't be too much to ask. It's common sense. Today's result is a product of a failure of government on the part of NOAA and a failure of policymaking on the part of Congress."
Since April, Golden has raised serious concerns with NOAA's proposed risk assessment tool due to the lack of detail that has gone into it. Golden's amendment would have stopped NOAA from implementing the tool until it has been peer-reviewed.
Congressman Golden has been working with IAMAW Local 207, the Maine Lobstermen's Association, Maine Department of Marine Resources, and other stakeholders to try and address the flaws of the proposed regulations.