The following legislation, H.R. 3650: the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act, was voted on by the House of Representatives on March 9, 2010.  The legislation did not pass because it failed to garner the necessary two-thirds vote under suspension of the rules.  The following is Mack's statement for the Congressional Record.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 3650, the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act. I would like to thank Congressman Baird who took the lead this Congress, along with Congresswoman Kathy Castor and Congressman Allen Boyd, for their work on this important issue.

Passing this important piece of legislation is the first step in increasing research for harmful algal blooms while ensuring that scientists and experts in the field, and not politicians, determine where research money is spent.

Last Congress, I introduced the Save Our Shores Act to increase our commitment to researching harmful algal blooms. Since then, my colleagues and I have worked together to tackle red tide and other harmful algal blooms. The committee has crafted new language to improve the legislation by including freshwater harmful algal blooms and instituting regional action plans.

These are important efforts and it is time we recognize that although harmful algal blooms affect our entire nation, they are different throughout the country.

I represent the coastal areas of Southwest Florida. If you haven’t been there, it’s a beautiful part of the country, with miles and miles of white sandy beaches. For Southwest Florida, like many communities, a healthy environment and a healthy economy go hand-in-hand. As a kid growing up in Cape Coral red tide blooms were short-lived nuisances that lasted just a few days.

Today, however, these blooms continue for months at a time, and they have long-lasting implications that threaten the environment, people’s health, and our overall quality of life. It is imperative that we do more to understand and combat this problem.

These blooms cause dangerous respiratory distress and burning eyes, as well as the potential for severe food poisoning from contaminated shellfish.

Harmful algal blooms not only affect our personal health, they also affect the health of our economy. Red tide and other toxic blooms cost approximately $80 million annually to communities across the United States of America. From New England to the Great Lakes, from California to South Carolina, these toxic blooms affect us all.

Madam Speaker, by passing this legislation today, the House of Representatives is giving this important issue the attention it deserves. I salute Congressman Baird and all the other Members who co-sponsored this legislation for bringing this matter to the forefront and making this research a priority. I urge all of my colleagues to support this vital legislation.