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Hold your Congressman responsible: How the California delegation voted on the Nunes amendment to HR 2847

June 19, 2009 -- On June 11, Congressman Nunes (R) 21st District, introduced amendment #63 to the house appropriation bill, HR 2847, which, among other things, would have provided the funding for the implementation of the recently released National Marine Fisheries Service Salmon BiOp. The BiOp is basically a federal plan to begin the restoration of the Sacramento Valley Salmon stocks in the face of increased water diversions, pollution and other hazards to the fishery. 

Nunes' amendment would have jerked all funding for the implementation of the project rendering it nothing more than a paper statement of what should be done to restore what was once the nation's greatest Chinook salmon fishery.

Nunes made an impassioned plea on the floor of Congress claiming that 40,000 jobs were being lost all because the federal goverment chose three inch minnows and killers whales over  people, ignoring the fact that the districts he represents are receiving 86% of their water allocation and have chronic high unemployment rates exceeding 20 to 30% long before California's third year of Schwarzenegger declared drought.

Joining him at the podium were Congressmen Cardoza (D) 18th District and Costa (D) 20th District, two members whose districts are also based mainly in the central valley.

Congressman George Miller (D) 7th District and Mike Thompson (D) 1st District spoke at the podium in defense of the BiOp stating that passing the amendment would put the entire process of restoration back at square one and cause several years delay in any attempt to restore California's collapsed salmon nd steelhead runs, once the pride of the nation.

At the end of the presentations the chair called for a voice vote and declared that the amendment had passed. Opponents Miller and Thompson immediately called for a roll call vote, a motion that was granted by the chair.

The roll call vote, held the next morning reversed the voice vote with the EYES 208 and the NOS 218, a close call. Assuming that no further attacks are made on the funding of the Salmon BiOp as this bill moves through the Congress, the funding remains intact and the restoration (depending on a judge's preliminary ruling on a number of law suits) proceeds on schedule.

Here is how the California Delegation voted. Hold your representative accountable. The passage of Nunes amendment would have killed any attempt at the restoration of California's salmon and steelhead stocks for the forseeable future. If fishing, the environment and California's fisheries are important to you let your congressman know how you feel about his or her vote.

Even more important, remember this vote the next time you fill out your ballot in the next election.

The EYES (Those who favored Nunes amendment pulling funding for the implementation of the NMFS Salmon BiOP)

Name, Party, District