GLOUCESTER, Mass. – The Gloucester Times has reported the positions of Massachusetts Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown on the Jones Amendment, which would block NOAA funding of new catch share programs.
Senator Kerry, the senior senator from Massachusetts and a Democrat, stated: "We all share the frustrations that led to the Jones Amendment," Kerry in a statement e-mailed to the Times. "But if there's no viable path for it to become law right now, what's the best practical route forward to get the job done?"
Kerry's press secretary, Whitney Smith, told the Times she did not believe the statement meant he had decided against voting for the Jones amendment.
Both Republican and Democratic Capitol Hill sources in both the House and Senate have indicated that the Senate Majority Leadership (Democratic) and the House Majority Leadership (Republican) are leaning toward supporting a "clean" continuing resolution with no amendments. However what will actually happen remains uncertain.
Kerry concluded that he would "keep working with our fishermen to fix the way catch shares are implemented in New England, and get the relief and results our guys deserve, end of story." He added, "I'll do that by any means that are necessary and viable."
Senator Brown, a Republican, told the Times via email that he would vote for the House-approved federal budget amendment to cut off funding for introducing new catch share programs. His press secretary, Colin Reed said: "Sen. Brown believes we should stop funding NOAA's current catch share policy, and (he) looks forward to working with his Senate colleagues to do just that."
Read the Gloucester Times story on Senator Kerry's position
Read the Gloucester Times story on Senator Brown's position