Dear Friend,

A few weeks ago, we announced our first endorsements of the 2006 campaign season.

Today we’re announcing our second round of endorsements—but first we want to take a moment to comment on recent developments in Washington, and why these developments make the work of Ocean Champions more important than ever.

Some of the most important issues being debated in Congress right now are about the oceans. The House reversed course and adopted Rep. Richard Pombo’s (R-Ca) Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act (“DOER”), which would undo the moratorium on new offshore drilling that we have all fought so hard to maintain. The Senate is considering legislation that would allow new drilling in the Gulf, and which could lead to a broader lifting of the moratorium if combined with the DOER bill (if you haven’t yet sent a message to your Senators on this issue, please click here). And the House will soon take up Rep. Pombo’s fisheries rollback bill.

These developments underscore once again why it’s so important to have leadership on the oceans in Congress, and why Ocean Champions is endorsing the following candidates:

House

Rep. Lois Capps
District: California 23rd
Key Coastal Communities: Santa Barbara
Party: Democratic
Terms: 5th
Key Committees: Energy & Commerce
Caucuses: House Oceans Caucus & House Coastal Caucus
Leadership: Rep. Capps has consistently fought to uphold the moratorium on new offshore oil & gas drilling, and was the lead Democratic sponsor of the June bill to extend the moratorium.

Rep. Wayne Gilchrest
District: Maryland 1
Key Coastal Communities: Eastern Shore
Party: Republican
Terms: 8th
Key Committees: Resources (Chairman, Fisheries & Oceans Subcommittee), Science
Caucuses: Co-Chair, House Oceans Caucus; House Coastal Caucus
Leadership: Rep. Gilchrest has long placed conservation of our ocean resources as one of his top Congressional priorities. He was a key player in the passage of the Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996, and is again playing a leading role in pushing a strong reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act through the House.

Rep. Ed Markey
District: Massachusetts 7
Key Coastal Communities: Boston area
Party: Democratic
Terms: 15th
Key Committees: Resources
Caucuses: House Oceans Caucus & House Coastal Caucus
Leadership: Rep. Markey has served on the important Resources Committee for his entire 30 year career in Congress, and has been a consistent supporter of ocean protection legislation during that time, playing a key role in passage of the Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 and in preventing oil and gas development on Georges Bank, an important fishery habitat area.

Rep. Curt Weldon
District: Pennsylvania 7
Key Coastal Communities: Rep. Weldon’s district is just inland from the Jersey Shore, a very popular destination for many of his constituents.
Party: Republican
Terms: 15th
Key Committees: Science
Caucuses: Founder & Co-Chair House Oceans Caucus
Leadership: Rep. Weldon was one of the original founders of the House Oceans Caucus and has continued to show excellent leadership on ocean issues. Last year he was the lead sponsor of the Ocean Conservation, Education, and National Strategy for the 21st Century (“OCEANS 21”), H.R. 2939, which implements many of the key ocean governance recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy.

Senate

Case

Rep. Ed Case
District: Rep. Case currently represents Hawaii’s Second District in Congress, but is leaving that seat to take on incumbent Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Hi) in the September 26th Democratic primary, in hopes of becoming Hawaii’s next Senator.
Party: Democratic
Terms: 2nd in the House, running for 1st term as Senator
Key Committees: Rep. Case is certain to seek an important committee assignment for the oceans if elected to the Senate.
Caucuses: House Oceans Caucus & House Coastal Caucus
Leadership: Rep. Case introduced, on his own initiative, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine Refuge Act of 2005, the goals of which were achieved this year when Pres. Bush designated the islands as the world’s largest marine protected area. He is a steady and consistent advocate of extending the moratorium on new offshore drilling, and of a strong Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Ocean Champions exists to build the Congressional leadership we need to protect, restore and maintain our oceans. When you support Ocean Champions, you’re supporting a Congress that will work to defeat the agenda of Rep. Pombo and his allies, and to provide a healthy ocean for us and our descendants. Please join Ocean Champions today.

http://www.oceanchampions.org/contribute.htm

For the oceans,

Jack K. Sterne, Esq.
Executive Director
jack@oceanchampions.org

David Wilmot, Ph.D.
President
dave@oceanchampions.org

Click here to make a secure contribution to Ocean Champions. Contributions to Ocean Champions are not tax deductible and may be used for political purposes such as supporting or opposing candidates.

For more information or questions about Ocean Champions, e-mail info@oceanchampions.org.

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