Kerry, Snowe, Rockefeller, Brown and Whitehouse introduced a bill that helps fisheries

[karynnj]

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Senators Scott Brown and John Kerry lead bipartisan effort to boost domestic fishing industry

In what is being hailed as a bipartisan effort to right a decades-old wrong, U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., have joined with colleagues to push a bill that is expected to give the fishing industry in the U.S. a solid push into the future.

The Fisheries Investment and Regulatory Relief Act, or FIRRA as it's known, would ensure that a significant portion of the money collected from tariffs on imported fish or fish products is cycled back into the American fishing industry, in accordance with the 1954 Saltonstall-Kennedy Act.

http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/03/sens_scott_brown_and_john_kerr.html

Note that the title says "Brown and Kerry". In fact, Brown is not even the lead Republican sponsor - Olympia Snow is! ( yes, I am still angry by the unique rule (just for Kerry) that you get credit ONLY if you are the lead sponsor .

Oddly, the Boston Herald credits Kerry and Snowe:

U.S. Sens. John Kerry and Olympia Snowe are proposing that lawmakers restore the original intent of a nearly 60-year-old law directing federal money to the fishing industry.

The Saltonstall-Kennedy Act was co-authored by then-U.S. Sen. John F. Kennedy in 1954.

The act took a portion of the duties collected on imported fish and directed major parts of those funds toward improving fishing industry research and development, such as improving data collection.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/20120312kerry_snowe_look_to_direct_money_to_fish_science/

The Bradenton Herald has an oped from the PEW environmental group praising the legislation - crediting Kerry, Snowe, Rockefeller, Brown and Whitehouse.
http://www.bradenton.com/2012/03/12/3934510/sens-kerry-snowe-rockefeller-brown.html

Here is the information from Thomas:

S.2184
Latest Title: A bill to provide exclusive funding to support fisheries and the communities that rely upon them, to clear unnecessary regulatory burdens and streamline Federal fisheries management, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 3/12/2012) Cosponsors (4)
Latest Major Action: 3/12/2012 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Jump to: Summary, Major Actions, All Actions, Titles, Cosponsors, Committees, Related Bill Details, Amendments
SUMMARY:

***NONE***
MAJOR ACTIONS:

***NONE***
ALL ACTIONS:

3/12/2012:
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1579)
3/12/2012:
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

TITLE(S): (italics indicate a title for a portion of a bill)

OFFICIAL TITLE AS INTRODUCED:
A bill to provide exclusive funding to support fisheries and the communities that rely upon them, to clear unnecessary regulatory burdens and streamline Federal fisheries management, and for other purposes.

COSPONSORS(4), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]: (Sort: by date)

Sen Brown, Scott P. [MA] - 3/12/2012
Sen Rockefeller, John D., IV [WV] - 3/12/2012
Sen Snowe, Olympia J. [ME] - 3/12/2012
Sen Whitehouse, Sheldon [RI] - 3/12/2012
COMMITTEE(S):

Committee/Subcommittee: Activity:
Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Referral, In Committee

RELATED BILL DETAILS:

***NONE***

AMENDMENT(S):

***NONE***

Edited because Scott Brown is NOT even the lead Republican sponsor - Olympia Snowe is - which makes sense as this has been an issue that she (and Kerry) worked on for decades.)