WASHINGTON D.C., DC — An effort by Rep. Jared Golden (D - ME02) to prevent restrictions on lobstermen has failed.
Rep. Golden introduced an amendment asking that the government go back and review data about right whales collected by NOAA with a data tool he claimed was inaccurate on multiple fronts.
Golden wrote on Facebook Friday:
"The odds were long on this amendment, but the way it was voted down today makes my blood boil. Members of my party ignored the economic hardship this will have on lobstermen, which was easy for them since most of them don’t represent any lobstermen. My Republican colleagues were no better. These actions are also frustrating given how often many lawmakers in both parties talk to me about how much they love to eat lobster.
I care about the environment and about right whales, but I also care about the people I represent. For years now, Maine lobstermen have made sacrifices with almost no measurable effect on right whales. My amendment simply required the government to ensure the use of sound science and reliable data before it demands even more from our lobstermen. That shouldn’t be too much to ask. It’s common sense. Today’s result is a product of a failure of government on the part of NOAA and a failure of policymaking on the part of Congress."
