Skip to main content

Scalise, Palazzo, Gulf Coast Colleagues Urge Commerce to Provide Disaster Relief to Seafood, Fishing Industries

July 24, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C.—House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Reps. Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.), Cedric Richmond (D-La.), Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.), Garret Graves (R-La.), and Clay Higgins (R-La.) in urging Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to support requests from Gulf Coast states for fishery disaster assistance. This assistance would help mitigate the impacts on seafood and recreational fishing industries throughout 2019 due to the openings of the Bonnet Carre Spillway. Congress previously designated funding specifically for fishery disaster assistance, and it is now up to Secretary Ross to issue this emergency assistance.

"The livelihoods of many in our coastal communities are dependent on a healthy marine environment, and disruptions to these ecosystems have heavy impacts on both the commercial and recreational fishing industries, including the supply chains they support," write the Congressmen in their July 22 letter to Secretary Ross.

"We urge you to utilize your authority to make the appropriate declarations and allow the Department of Commerce to release an initial tranche of assistance to the men and women who are currently being adversely affected by this disaster."

Read the full letter here.