Chesapeake Bay Watershed Advancement for Training, Education, Restoration, and Science (WATERS) Act

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6893 is, in fact, near and dear to my heart and to my district. The Chesapeake Bay watershed is one of our Nation's most priceless natural resources.

Mr. Speaker, 18 million people live in the watershed, which is shared by six States and the District of Columbia. The Chesapeake Bay supports, as was said, fishing, tourism, real estate, and countless industries, generating billions of dollars in economic activity each year. It is, frankly, essential to the culture of those six States and the District.

The bay is also a critical habitat for many keystone species. Its oyster reefs, seagrass meadows, and marshes protect nearby communities from coastal hazards and provide critical nurseries for fish and wildlife. You will even spot a few dolphins hanging out there.

As a co-chair of the Chesapeake Bay Task Force, I was proud to co- lead H.R. 6893 to reauthorize key, science-backed programs at NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Office, which is headquartered near my office in Annapolis, Maryland. This bill would better position the office to collaborate with universities, nonprofits, and other stakeholders in carrying out science, monitoring, and observation activities.

The bill also strengthens collaboration by supporting the coordinated management and conservation of Chesapeake Bay habitats, fish, and wildlife, ensuring that limited Federal resources are used as effectively as possible.

Finally, the bill would, for the first time, authorize the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training program, otherwise known affectionately as B-WET, which provides grants for environmental education and watershed restoration experiences for local school kids.

Reauthorizing this office in the Chesapeake Bay will help maintain a steady Federal presence within the region's collaborative scientific infrastructure, benefiting the six States and the District of Columbia.

We must ensure that the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed remain abundant, healthy resources for generations to come.

If you talk to folks back in my district, they will say that the bay transcends politics, and it is almost like a religion. I could not agree more.

I applaud Representative Scott and the bipartisan Chesapeake Bay delegation not just for their dedication to this bill but for their dedication throughout every President and tumultuous politics to remain steady and steadfast in our support of this program.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6893, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we brought out half the Bay Caucus for this effort, and I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

I could go on and on, but I know we have one last bill. Representative Scott got it right: It has been slow and steady progress since 1983, before I was even born, to make sure that we not just protect and preserve for future generations, but take strides to be a model as we have been in the Chesapeake Bay region for other watersheds, not just in the United States but across the world.

Mr. Speaker, there is so much more work to do. This bill reauthorizes that work. Again, I thank my bipartisan colleagues for prioritizing not just this bill but this program within the budget itself. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6893, the Chesapeake Bay WATERS Act, and I am very proud to co-lead this bipartisan bill with Representative Kiggans.

The Chesapeake Bay is one of our Nation's most important natural resources, and this bill will ensure the bay remains healthy for generations to come.

H.R. 6893 reauthorizes the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Program office, which has been a leading partner in bay restoration efforts. Working alongside universities, State and local governments, and other stakeholders, this office supports the science and coordination necessary to understand the health of the bay and make informed decisions about the future.

Importantly, this bill supports the observation, monitoring, collection, and analysis of marine resource data, an area I was committed to for over 27 years with the Commonwealth of Virginia. That information is used by policymakers, resource managers, and the

public to better understand and protect the bay and its living resources.

The bill also supports training and education programs, and strengthens coordinated efforts to manage, protect, and restore bay habitats and living resources.

For communities across Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay is far more than a natural resource. It is part of our way of life. It supports our watermen, farmers, small businesses, and families throughout the Commonwealth.

The bay is a major economic driver, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and generating billions of dollars in economic activity. Protecting the bay means protecting those jobs, strengthening our local economies, and preserving the natural resources that our communities depend upon.

By continuing to invest in sound science, monitoring, education, and coordinated restoration efforts, we can ensure the Chesapeake Bay remains healthy for generations to come.

This is truly a Federal role because this truly is what interstate commerce is all about. The bay is that economic engine that involves all of the States in the bay watershed. It is our responsibility as a group of States to make sure we continue to improve the water quality there and, in turn, the economic resources that come to us from the bay.

The bay is an incredible economic driver for the seafood and tourism economies. All of those things are key. The Chesapeake Bay Program Office allows us to coordinate and make sure that all of us in the bay watershed are doing our part to make sure the bay continues to get cleaner and cleaner.

I am very proud to support this bipartisan effort to protect one of our Nation's most vital resources, and I encourage my colleagues to vote in support of H.R. 6893.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I rise in support of my legislation, H.R. 6893, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Advancement for Training, Education, Restoration, and Science, the WATERS Act.

The Chesapeake Bay is a natural treasure and a critical resource for the millions of Americans who live within its watershed, including my constituents in Hampton Roads. The Chesapeake Bay's fisheries sustain the region's centuries-old fisheries and seafood industry, which generates about $8 billion in economic activity every year. The bay's unparalleled recreational opportunities not only support tens of thousands of jobs and generate more than $14 billion annually, but are also critical to the well-being and happiness of all that live throughout the watershed.

The Federal Government has helped our efforts to restore and protect the bay by devoting the resources and staff of multiple departments and agencies, including NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Office. This office provides scientific and technical support to government, industry, and nonprofits with the goal of advancing strategies that improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay. This is an effort that has been going on for decades. We are making slow but steady progress.

Among its many responsibilities, NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Office manages the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System that provides researchers and watermen with near real-time data on weather and water quality conditions. The Chesapeake Bay Office also oversees the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training, or B-WET, program. This competitive grant program supports environmental education opportunities throughout the watershed that not only teach students about the bay but also connect them to it through experiential programming.

The Chesapeake Bay Waters Act reauthorizes NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Office. This ensures the agency can continue supporting the goals of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and restoring the Chesapeake Bay. My bill also authorizes the Chesapeake B-WET program for the first time in its history, ensuring that future generations can continue to engage with the Chesapeake Bay.

I thank my fellow co-leads, Virginia Representatives Wittman and Kiggans and Maryland Representative Elfreth, for their support of this legislation. I thank Chairman Westerman and Ranking Member Huffman for their leadership in getting this bill to the House floor.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6893) to reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 6893, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6893, the Chesapeake Bay WATERS Act.

The Chesapeake Bay is one of the most important resources in the mid- Atlantic region, including for the commercial seafood sector and the recreational boating and fishing community. I know that my colleague from Maryland (Ms. Elfreth) feels even more so about that statement.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Chesapeake Bay Office is an important partner for the Chesapeake Bay region by contributing scientific research, protecting habitat, and advancing oyster restoration.

H.R. 6893 reauthorizes this office and several of its training and workforce programs. It also requires the office to submit a report to the Secretary of Commerce and Congress on its progress in conserving the Chesapeake Bay and the ways NOAA can work with other Chesapeake Bay Program partners.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman), someone who is also passionate about the Chesapeake Bay, fisheries, and clean water.

Mr. Speaker, I thank everybody for their bipartisan support on H.R. 6893. I support its passage and yield back the balance of my time.