Ted Strickland

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to express my strong support for S. 2430, the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2006 (GLFWRA), which passed the House yesterday. This important legislation makes available critical federal dollars allowing state and tribal management agencies to take significant strides to address the challenges threatening Great Lakes fish and wildlife resources and habitats. This bipartisan bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent and I am hopeful will be signed by the President soon. I believe the reauthorization of the GLFWRA will go a long way to help protect the environmental and economic health of one of our nation's most unique and splendid natural treasures: the Great Lakes.

In both size and ecological diversity, there is no other freshwater system which matches that of the Great Lakes Basin. The Great Lakes are simply magical. They offer outstanding recreational and tourism opportunities. The Great Lakes are a source of drinking water for millions of residents and provide a safe and efficient mode of transportation in the region. Obviously, the Great Lakes also provide habitat for our fisheries and wildlife. Ohioans know what Lake Erie means for the state's economy. Lake Erie alone produces more fish for human consumption each year than the other four lakes combined. And, Lake Erie supports a $1 billion a year sport-fishing industry and one of the largest freshwater commercial fisheries in the world. There is no question that restoration and protection of one of our nation's most unique and precious resources, the Great Lakes, warrants the level of federal commitment reauthorized under S. 2430.

I am pleased that S. 2430 is consistent with the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration's (GLRC) Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great Lakes. The GLRC is a tremendous effort to coordinate the pathway forward for the restoration, protection, and sustainable use of our Great Lakes. I am pleased that passage of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act will advance the GLRC goals which were developed through extensive collaboration of federal, state, tribal, and local partners.

The challenges facing the Great Lakes will not be solved overnight, but the GLRC process has designed a unifying strategy forward, and I strongly support S. 2430 as one part of that strategy to restore and protect our invaluable Great Lakes.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and, Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of

H.R. 5013, the Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act of 2006. This good bipartisan effort will protect individuals' rights to maintain their personal firearms during an emergency.

Unfortunately, we know what happened just a few months ago in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Many in the gulf coast region had their personal firearms confiscated by authorities. Many families lost valuable heirlooms this way. H.R. 5013 would allow individuals in future disasters to maintain possession of their personal property, including their firearms.

I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this commonsense and much-needed legislation.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall 378, which I missed as a result of my being detained at the airport, I indicate for the Record that I would have voted ``nay'' had I been here for that vote.