NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — August 16, 2012 — Massachusetts' two senators and three of its congressmen want to know why President Barack Obama is ignoring their pleas to help fishermen beaten down by federal regulations even as the White House this week announced millions of dollars in aid for the drought-stricken agriculture industry.
In a sharply worded letter sent to the president Wednesday, Sens. John Kerry and Scott Brown and Congressmen Barney Frank, William Keating and John Tierney said: "We urge you to intervene with the Department of Commerce and NOAA to provide disaster relief for the New England fishery. After two years, now is not the time for more delay."
"Sen. Kerry is obviously deeply frustrated that this hasn't happened yet, but he doesn't give up and he's determined to bring relief to our fishermen," spokeswoman Maura Hogan said. "Every day he's finding a new way to make the case until the job's done. He will keep ringing the alarm bell on this issue until this is resolved and we get our fishermen what they need."
On Monday, Obama kicked off a three-day bus tour across Iowa by announcing the federal government would buy up to $170 million worth of meat, poultry and farmed catfish to aid farmers and ranchers struggling with a devastating drought.
"We are concerned that recent efforts by your administration to provide disaster relief for agricultural producers, including catfish farmers, affected by drought … did not include assistance for the hard-working fishermen and fishing communities in New England," the delegation's letter said.
The letter called the situation faced by fishermen a "deepening disaster" that has been ignored by federal officials for two years. In particular, the letter mentions an October 2011 congressional hearing in which National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief Jane Lubchenco promised to put Gov. Deval Patrick's disaster declaration request on the fast track, but nothing has happened.
Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times.