“I don't like this bill. I want NOAA to do more to protect whales. This bill gives NOAA too much time. Ropeless fishing gear can help. This bill will hurt the fishing industry in the long run. It undoes whale protections. It goes against the Endangered Species Act. I want my colleagues to vote against this bill.”
What they said. What they meant.
Plain-language translations from Congress.
Recent debates
8 latest topics
Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026
13 statements
Moment of Silence in Honor of the 25th Anniversary of September 11
2 statements
Honoring Former U.S. Representative Charles Hatcher of Georgia
2 statements
Recognizing Firefighters from California's Third Congressional District
17 statements
Saluting White Plains Beautification Foundation
2 statements
Celebrating Rural Lawyer Julie Bear
4 statements
Operation Midway Blitz Anniversary
2 statements
Catherine Watts Celebrates 100th Birthday
4 statements
House of Representatives
Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act of 2026
“I don't want this bill to pass. Some people agree with me. I want my colleagues to vote against this bill.”
“I don't like this bill. I brought up something from 4 years ago to change the subject. I hope that people will be distracted by talking about that instead.”
“I oppose this bill. It delays rules that protect whales. Whales are at risk. I want new rules now. The fishing industry needs to change. The current rules are enough time. Lobstermen have other problems. Tariffs and rising costs are bad for them. I don't like Trump's policies. They hurt the industry and environment. We need to help lobstermen and protect whales. I want a different plan.”
“I don't want this bill to pass. It stops our current plans. We already gave them 6 years. We spent $20 million on testing. They say they need more time. I don't agree. I think they are stalling. The Trump administration is not taking this seriously. They don't give us reports. They have 2 more years. They should use that time to do their job.”
“I argue for my bill. It will protect fishermen. It will not hurt whales. It will help Maine. It will help coastal towns. It will let us keep rules we have now. It will give us more time to use science. We should pass this bill.”
“I don't want to talk about the actual bill. I brought up something from 10 years ago to change the subject. I hope that people will be distracted by talking about that instead.”
“I am against this bill. It does not protect the whales. I think we can find a way to protect both whales and the fishing industry. The real problem is Trump's trade policies and high diesel prices. That hurts fishermen more. We need to stop these trade wars. They hurt our economy and raise costs for everyone. Let's consider the real impact on fishermen across the country. The bill does not address this. I will motion to stop the bill. I want an amendment about high costs for fishermen. This is what really matters. We need to bring down costs.”
“I don't like my colleague's numbers. He said there were 30 whale deaths from fisheries. That's not true. I've been in Congress for 8 years. There has been only one whale death from Maine lobster fishing in that time. In the 20 or 30 years before that, there were none. My colleague's numbers are wrong. Ropeless gear is not ready yet. We are talking about a fishery that lands over 70 million pounds per year. Ropeless gear caught only a million pounds in the last 4 years. That's not enough. It's not ready. If we require ropeless gear now, it will shut down the fishery. I don't want that.”
“I want the government to spend money on fishing technology. I don't like this bill. It will not help the whales. The government should spend more money to help the whales and fishermen. I think ropeless gear is good. The government should give money to fishermen for ropeless gear. I don't want this bill to pass. It will not help the whales. The government should do more to help whales and fishermen.”