Congressional leadership vis-a-vis Pombo

We finally hear from our bay area representatives on Pombo and the environment. This was in today's San Jose Mercury News. Too bad that Lofgren or Tauscher did not sign on.

Pombo is no friend of the environment

Your position on the new Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument rightly recognized it as an important step toward preserving the ecological diversity of our oceans (Editorial, June 20). These efforts need to extend to the current debate over renewing the Magnuson Stevens Act (MSA), our nation's primary fisheries law, being led by Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Stockton, in the House. As chair of the House Committee on Resources, Rep. Pombo is in a position to do great good for our environment, but we have to disagree with our colleague from Hawaii, Rep. Neil Abercrombie, who wrote to your paper defending Rep. Pombo's stewardship thus far. Rep. Pombo's version of the MSA rolls back environmental protections in the current law, and he also seeks to weaken the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act and to repeal the off-shore oil drilling moratorium; he supports commercial whaling; and he disregards any meritorious oceans legislation that does not fulfill his political agenda. It is clear he is no friend to our marine resources.

Rep. Sam Farr, D-Salinas, co-chair, House Oceans Caucus
Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, co-chair, National Marine Sanctuary Caucus
Rep. Mike Honda, D-Campbell
Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Santa Rosa, member, National Marine Sanctuary Caucus

Tags: CA-11, Richard Pombo, Jerry McNerney, Magnuson Stevens Act, MSA, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act