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Bruce Westerman

Republican

“I want to talk about a bill. This bill will change rules about whales. I want the House to talk about this bill now.”

Bruce Westerman

Republican 3:30 p.m.

“I want the House to pass this bill about lobster fishing. Lobsters are important to Maine's economy. Lobster fishing is a tradition. Some groups want to regulate lobster fishing more. I think that is bad. I want the government to pause new rules on lobster fishing until 2035. This will give Maine and lobster fishermen more time to research and adapt.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 9436, the Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act, which will protect one of the world's most iconic fisheries and the American jobs, communities, and families that depend on it. In Maine, lobster accounts for 75 percent of the total value of the State's commercial fisheries, supporting an estimated $2 billion in economic activity and 17,500 jobs. While critical to the State's economy, a robust lobster industry isn't just about dollars and cents. It is about individuals, families, and communities whose stories and traditions are directly tied to this industry that has operated for more than 70 years. However, Maine lobstermen have faced tremendous adversity over the past several decades. The American lobster fishery has been under attack from radical groups determined to end this way of life. These serial litigants have pushed for a regulatory regime that could shut down the entire fishery. For nearly 30 years, the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team has overseen the Maine lobster and Jonah crab fisheries. They have implemented and updated a take reduction plan with extensive regulatory requirements designed to minimize the fishery's impact on North Atlantic right whales. What they are doing is working. For decades, the industry has led conservation efforts to reduce right whale entanglements in their gear. Despite the American lobster fishery virtually eliminating its impact on right whales, the take reduction plan has faced repeated litigation, leaving the industry subject to regulatory whiplash. The American lobster fishery has been subject to four different biological opinions between 2010 and 2021, with ever more draconian restrictions. When the National Marine Fisheries Service issued its most recent biological opinion in 2021, unsurprisingly, the radical groups remained dissatisfied and continued to litigate. At the same time, Maine's Democratic Governor, Janet Mills, and the lobster industry argued that NOAA failed to utilize the best available science. Facing new regulations that threatened to shut down the entire fishery, the Maine delegation worked on a bipartisan basis in December 2022 to enact a regulatory pause for the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries. This pause provided ESA and MMPA coverage for the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries through 2028, providing the State and the industry more time to develop new gear innovations, prudent conservation measures, and conduct more research on the fishery's interactions with right whales. Since then, the State of Maine, the industry, and other scientific and research bodies have made progress, investing more than $90 million in research. However, it is clear that more time is needed to gather the necessary data and incorporate it into final regulations. Representative Lawler's bill would provide MMPA and ESA coverage for these fisheries through 2035, providing the necessary time to get these regulations right without the threat of more frivolous litigation. I thank Representative Lawler for carrying this legislation, and also I recognize the gentleman from Maine, Representative Jared Golden, for his tireless leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Michael Lawler

Republican 3:30 p.m.

“I want this bill to pass. It helps the lobster industry in my district. The industry creates many jobs. I want to protect those jobs. I don't want more regulations on the lobster industry. I want to extend the current rules until 2035. That gives us more time to study the whales. Fishermen need stable rules. I want to protect both whales and the fishing industry. Some people don't like this bill. I don't care what they say. I will fight for the lobster industry in my district.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9436, the Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act. I want to thank Chairman Westerman for working with me to bring this bill to the floor, as well as my colleague from Maine who has fought tirelessly on behalf of his constituents, Jared Golden. In Maine alone, the lobster industry generates approximately $2 billion in economic activity each year and supports more than 17,500 jobs. Local industries like this one are a lifeline for families and communities that have been in business for generations. In New York, the fishing industry generates more than $2 billion in economic activity and supports over 10,000 jobs. For decades, the Northeast lobster and commercial fishing industries have faced growing regulatory pressure as Federal efforts to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale have unintentionally impacted fisheries. In 2022, this important industry faced the prospect of even more regulations that would have had devastating consequences on fishermen's livelihoods and their local communities that depend on them. Congress responded by temporarily pausing the regulations and providing funding to improve North Atlantic whale research. That research is already producing better data, but more work remains. My bill would simply extend the current regulatory pause through 2035, giving the scientific community more than enough additional time to develop durable science-driven solutions that protect the North Atlantic right whale while ensuring American fishermen can continue to do their jobs. The Northeast lobster fishery is an important part of our coastal economy, supporting not only fishermen but also the processors, restaurants, and local businesses. Fishermen have spent years adapting to changing conservation requirements and implementing measures to reduce the risk of whale entanglements. They deserve regulatory stability and certainty rather than constantly shifting requirements that threaten their ability to operate and plan for the future. This legislation is about giving American fishermen the certainty they need to keep their businesses operating while also giving scientists and the industry the time to create innovative solutions to protect both the North Atlantic right whale and the future of Northeast fisheries. We all have industries back home that shape our communities. I am not from Maine, but I know the importance of local economies and the individual people who work hard for their families. I will always fight for small businesses and for the New Yorkers back home who show up every day to keep them going. This is a perfect example of bipartisanship and the willingness to work together for our constituents, for our communities, and to support commonsense legislation that protects the very people we were sent here to represent. I will also say that I refuse to be intimidated by the activists and organizations, like the NRDC, which is threatening to spend millions of dollars in political spending right now--

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Bruce Westerman

Republican 3:40 p.m.

“I want this bill to pass. It helps the lobster industry. Some people attacked me for supporting this bill. I don't care. I want my colleagues to support this bill.”

Bruce Westerman

Republican 3:40 p.m.

“Some groups support this bill. I want my colleagues to vote for it. I say the current policy is working. There are more whales now. The current policy is an example of government and industry working together.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a link to letters of support from the State of Maine Department of Marine Resources, the National Fisheries Institute, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association, Maine Lobstermen's Association, Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association, Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen's Association, New Hampshire Commercial Fishermen's Association, and the Lobster Advisory Council: Https:// naturalresources.house.gov/uploadedfiles/binder1. pdf Mr. Speaker, I will say that what is happening in Maine is working. We should be celebrating this. We have seen a slight 2.1-percent increase in the population of right whales over the past 4 years. There has been one right whale death in the last, I think, 20 to 25 years attributed to Maine fishing gear. This is an example of how government and industry can work together to protect the fishery, plus continue this economic activity. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman), the chair for the Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee.

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Harriet M. Hageman

Republican 3:40 p.m.

“I support this bill. It will help lobster and crab fisheries. New rules almost shut them down. The old rules used bad data. Congress stopped new rules for 6 years. Now they need more time to get good data. The bill gives them time. It follows Trump's order about American seafood. We need time to study how wind farms affect whales and fish. Anyone who cares about them should support this. I thank my colleague for this good bill. I want everyone to vote yes.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 9436, the Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act. This legislation will help to safeguard some of the United States' most iconic fisheries, American lobster and Jonah crab. In Maine, the lobster industry has been subject to regulatory whiplash and operational uncertainty due to pending burdensome regulations and activist litigation. In 2022, NOAA was poised to finalize regulations to protect the North Atlantic right whale, a move that risked shutting down this fishery entirely. Leaders in the industry argue that those regulations were developed with flawed, inaccurate data. To combat this, in 2022 Congress enacted a 6-year pause on the enactment of new regulations, which gave the State regulators and the industry more time to gather more up-to-date science and data to inform new regulations. While that work is ongoing and has been productive, it has been made clear that more time is needed to incorporate the latest data into final regulations. H.R. 9436 does just that, ensuring that final regulatory decisions are made in a thoughtful, deliberate manner. Most importantly, this bill advances the goals and objectives laid out in President Trump's executive order, ``Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.'' By allowing adequate time to incorporate the latest science and data into regulations, we can ensure that one of the country's most vital fisheries can continue to operate while safeguarding endangered species like the North Atlantic right whale. This bill also allows for the ability to further study the impact of offshore wind farms on our aquatic resources, including the North Atlantic right whale. Anyone who claims to care about our whale and fishery populations would surely support such investigations to ensure data-driven and science-based decisionmaking. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Lawler for his leadership on this bill and his work to protect our fishermen, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important bill.

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Bruce Westerman

Republican 3:40 p.m.

“I want to talk about our policies. Our government is working on a system to find whales. Some technologies are ready. Some technologies need more time. I don't want to use ropeless gear now. Ropeless gear is not safe for lobstermen. This bill is good for lobstermen and whales.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, NOAA is in the process of building out an acoustic network that can provide near real-time whale locations along the entire East Coast. Meanwhile, NOAA has contracted with a private company to evaluate 11 technologies that have real potential to reduce threats to whales and identify their locations in real time. While several of these are fully mature, many promising technologies are close but need more time. My colleagues across the aisle would have you believe that the only solution is immediate deployment of ropeless gear, which creates unnecessary safety risks for lobstermen. We can protect America's lobstermen and the right whale. This bill strikes the right balance. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

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Pete Stauber

Republican 3:40 p.m.

“I support this bill. It will delay new regulations. I think we need more time to make the right rules. I don't want these rules to hurt local economies and lobstermen. This bill will protect lobsters and whales. It's a good bipartisan bill. My friend Representative Golden wants this bill too. He's a good Democrat. I want this bill to pass.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 9436, the Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act, introduced by my good friends, Representative Lawler and Representative Golden of Maine. Each and every day, onerous regulations negatively impact our constituents along with the local economies and local communities that we represent. Too often, here in Washington, these onerous regulations are put in place without a full understanding of the impact that they will have on the ground. These regulations often set unreasonable standards or are set to go into effect on unreasonable timelines. The regulations on the North Atlantic right whale, which are currently mandated to be implemented by the end of 2028, are an example of these unreasonable timelines that will have a negative impact on local and regional economies across New England and will have an outsized impact on the Maine lobstermen. This bipartisan legislation before us today does not weaken protections for the North Atlantic right whale. The legislation simply delays implementation of these new regulations so we can get it right. This legislation will allow adequate time to seek input from affected industries and communities, ensuring we have fit-for-purpose regulations that will protect the North Atlantic right whale. Failure to do this the right way and allow time for the right regulations to be developed could devastate the local economy and our fisheries across New England. Mr. Speaker, I commend my good friend Representative Golden for standing up for his constituents and for working with Representative Lawler to bring this legislation forward. Representative Golden is from Maine. He wants this for his constituents and the lobster fishermen from Maine. I think that we ought to listen to Representative Golden, who, in my humble opinion, has been one of the most effective Democrats on the Natural Resources Committee. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 9436.

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Nicholas J. Begich III

Republican 3:50 p.m.

“I support this bill. It gives more time to use better science. The current rules are based on old information. We need to update them. NOAA and the state need to incorporate new data. The restrictions could hurt the lobster industry. Good regulation needs good science. This bill does not weaken protections. It gives time to improve the rules. I want my colleagues to support this bill.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9436, the Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act. This bill is fundamentally about getting the science right. It gives the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, or NOAA, the State of Maine, and the lobster industry until 2035 to incorporate the most current, complete data available before implementing sweeping new gear, closure, and speed restrictions under the MMPA, restrictions that, based on outdated information, could devastate a $2 billion industry and 17,500 jobs. Mr. Speaker, Alaska knows the cost of regulating with stale data. As the State with America's largest and most valuable commercial fishing industry, we have seen Federal agencies default to rigid one-size-fits- all mandates instead of investing in the modern surveys, monitoring, and technology needed to actually understand what is happening on the water. That approach does not serve the resource and it doesn't serve the people who depend on it, whether they are lobstermen in Maine or fishermen in Alaska Native communities back home. Good regulation has to keep pace with good science. H.R. 9436 does not weaken the MMPA or abandon right whale conservation. It gives regulators the runway to use better science and better tools to protect both the whales and the fishery. This committee endorsed that approach on a bipartisan 22-13 vote, and the Trump administration has backed it, as well. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan bill.

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Bruce Westerman

Republican 3:50 p.m.

“You are wrong. The other side wants to shut down our industry. They want to take away jobs from Americans. They want to buy seafood from other countries. That is bad. We should not do that. I yield time to an expert.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am confused by arguments coming from the left. They started off today talking about high prices and the cost of food. What is their solution? They want to shut down another U.S. industry. They want to shut down seafood production. We are already 80 percent dependent on foreign imports. Their solution is to reduce penalties on Canada and other countries that are our seafood suppliers, shut down 17,500 American jobs, shut down a $2 billion industry in the State of Maine, and ship more of our money overseas to other countries and let them supply our seafood. They don't have near the protections that we have for our other species. There is a lot of flawed logic in the argument that they are trying to make. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Golden), who understands Maine lobster fisheries more than anybody else probably in this town.

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Bruce Westerman

Republican 4:00 p.m.

“She wants to regulate more. I don't like that. If it moves, she wants to tax it. If it keeps moving, she wants to regulate it. If it stops, she wants to subsidize it. I don't want that. I want to protect jobs in Maine. There are 17,000 jobs there. She is wrong about the number of jobs. We need to help lobstermen now. More rules will not help them. More rules will make their life harder. That doesn't work. The current rules are working. We don't need more. I don't want more rules and taxes. I want to help lobstermen make a living.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, the argument for the motion to recommit reminds me of what President Reagan said--this is the Democrat philosophy--if it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops, then subsidize it. Unfortunately, if it stops, who we are going to be subsidizing are foreign countries that we are importing seafood from. To correct the record, it is not 1,700 jobs in Maine; it is 17,000 jobs in Maine--over 17,000 jobs. We are talking about a serious economic impact, and we are also talking about the fact that what is happening right now is working. Why continue to regulate it? Why put more burdens on Maine lobstermen who are in a tough situation, as fishermen are, around the world? So the solution is to regulate them more? It is like, hey, we see you are having a hard time, so let's put some more regulations on you. That doesn't work. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Golden).

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Bruce Westerman

Republican 4:10 p.m.

“I went to Maine. I like lobster. Lobster is important in Maine. The government should help lobster fishermen. This bill will help. The government needs more time. The government should make rules to help the whales and the lobster fishermen. The government should use good science to make the rules. The Trump administration likes this bill. The government should pass this bill. It will help lobster fishermen and whales.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us today would provide much- needed certainty to one of the United States' most important and iconic commercial fisheries, Maine lobster. When I visited that beautiful State, I loved what they call it there, lobstah. When you think of lobster, you think of something that is woven into the fabric of the history, the ambiance, the beauty of Maine. When people from other States think of Maine, a lot of times what comes to their mind is lobster. Passing this legislation will give NOAA more time to craft regulations to protect the North Atlantic right whale and will ensure that these regulations are based on the best available science and ensure long-term operational certainty for the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries. The legislation before us helps to advance the goals laid out in President Trump's executive order, ``Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.'' The Trump administration has issued a Statement of Administration Policy expressing support for identical legislation, which I include in the Record. H.R. 8509--Amending the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 to Extend the Time Period for which Certain Regulations Concerning the North

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Bruce Westerman

Republican 4:10 p.m.

“I thank my friends. I want this bill to pass. It will help lobster fishermen. The government should pass this bill.”

What they said. What they meant.

Recent debates

Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act of 2026

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