In January, I introduced the "Oceans Conservation, Education, and National Strategy for the 21st Century Act." This bill (H.R. 21) is the product of a multiyear, bipartisan effort to implement the highest priority recommendations of the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative.

A few years ago, two blue-ribbon commissions, the Pew Oceans Commission and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, completed parallel and comprehensive surveys of the status of our oceans. Despite representing both sides of the political spectrum, these commissions came to virtually identical conclusions about the troubling state of our oceans. These documents create a vision for the future, a vision founded on responsible stewardship of our country's largest public trust resource. These two commissions joined forces and formed the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative to advocate for the implementation of their recommendations.

Later this year I plan to introduce two additional bills. The first would prevent cruise ships from dumping sewage into the ocean, the second would help protect the Southern Sea Otter.

Among the bills that I am actively helping to get enacted:

• California Ocean and Coastal Protection Act (H.R. 2918);
• Northern California Ocean and Coastal Protection Act (H.R. 2758);
• Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Act (H.R. 1907);
• Forest and Coral Conservation Act (H.R. 2185);
• Ocean Exploration and Undersea Research Program (H.R. 1834);
• National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation Act (H.R. 2342);
• Salmon Economic Analysis and Planning Act (H.R. 1507);
• Pacific Salmon Emergency Disaster Assistance Act (H.R. 234), included in the non-defense emergency supplemental that became law in May.

Through my position as a co-chair of the House Oceans Caucus, I continue to fight for funding and development of ocean activities and programs, especially as administered through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. I continue to provide leadership on ocean policy in Congress and have high hopes for progress under our Democratic leadership. 

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