Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I just want to thank Mr. Perry for his work on this.

I have a friend in my district who has been seen on TV many times because they have to carry their child to Colorado for this treatment. And I have had extensive discussions not only with people in Georgia who need this treatment for their kids, but with the sheriffs of my district as well. I certainly wouldn't support the cannabis oil and the use of cannabis oil and those type of things if my local sheriffs were not in favor of it.

You might be interested to know that the Georgia Sheriffs' Association actually endorsed a piece of legislation a couple of years ago that would allow the use of cannabis oil for these children with seizures.

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Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chair, first I would like to thank the Parliamentarians for helping us work with this language. I would like to especially thank both the majority and the minority staff for giving me the courtesy of presenting this. I know it is late, and we certainly hoped to close by 2 a.m.

It is the third day of what has been designated as the 10-day red snapper season for a man or woman who simply wants to take their child fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.

The commercial fishermen get to fish 365 days a year. The charter boat anglers get to fish 45 days a year.

What this amendment does is it says that the National Fisheries Service cannot enforce a rule that was adopted that is, quite honestly, probably going to court. And then it says that as they go forward and they pass the rules in the future, the recreational fishermen should receive at least 20 percent of the number of days as the commercial fisherman does with regard to the red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico.

That is effectively what it does. It still allows them to set the seasons. It does have some restriction in that they just can't take from the recreational fishermen. They have to give the recreational not-for-hire and for-hire 20 percent of the number of calendar days that they give the commercial fishermen to fish for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico.

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Mr. FATTAH. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia because I need to ask a question about this.

You say that the commercial catch limits for fishing days are 360 days a year? And I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Yes, sir. They can fish year-round for red snapper. It is different for different species. This is tailored specifically to this species.

Mr. FATTAH. Reclaiming my time, we are talking red snapper, right? I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Yes, sir.

Mr. FATTAH. But for the recreational fisherman, taking your sons out to fish for the day, there is a limit of 10 days?

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Yes, sir. This is the third day of the 10-day season for the Federal waters for the recreational fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico

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Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I would like to say that as a dad, honestly, I would like to say thank you for doing this. And certainly, if there are unintended consequences, I would look forward to working with you to resolve those unintended consequences.

Again, as a father of a son named Wells and a daughter named Carmen and a lovely wife named Vivien, I just want to say thank you.

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