Ocean Champions Endorses Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici

"In a short period of time Congresswoman Bonamici has become a proven leader and used her position to arrive at workable solutions and effectively move major ocean legislation," said David Wilmot, Ph.D., Ocean Champions’ President and Co-Founder.

Her bipartisan approach is getting things done for the oceans

Washington, D.C. – August 11, 2014 – Ocean Champions, which works to build political power for the oceans by helping to elect pro-ocean candidates to the U.S. Congress, proudly endorses Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici for her third term in Oregon’s First District. "In a short period of time Congresswoman Bonamici has become a proven leader and used her position to arrive at workable solutions and effectively move major ocean legislation," said David Wilmot, Ph.D., Ocean Champions’ President and Co-Founder. "She's used her position to influence key ocean initiatives and draw attention to vital issues affecting her Oregon district and the rest of our country's coastlines."

Though she has not yet served two full terms in the House, Congresswoman Bonamici has already been elected the Ranking Member of the House Science and Technology's Subcommittee on the Environment, a position she has used to great effect to prioritize ocean and climate change issues. She reached across the aisle to build bipartisan support for one of Ocean Champions' highest priority pieces of legislation, the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act, which would have languished without Republican support. Her work was fundamental to the bill passing Congress and being signed into law by President Obama on June 30, 2014. A notable achievement, this bill is one of only 127 bills that have been signed into law this Congress, out of over 8,000 introduced.

And her ocean leadership doesn't stop with this bill. In her time in office, Congresswoman Bonamici has worked to address the problem of ocean pollution – in particular the challenges inflicted upon the Oregon coast by debris from the 2012 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, leaving her district with unsightly beaches, high cleanup costs and the threat of invasive species. She has also aggressively opposed increased offshore drilling and subsidies for oil companies, instead supporting additional research to spur investment in green jobs.

"We need more legislators like Congresswoman Bonamici, who put ocean issues at the top of their agenda and have the strength of conviction that allows them to make reasonable compromises to drive proactive, workable solutions," added Wilmot. "During her three years on Capitol Hill she has proven invaluable to the ocean community."

Ocean Champions is the only nonprofit political organization that endorses pro-ocean Congressional candidates and lobbies members of Congress on behalf of the oceans. To learn more about Ocean Champions or any of the candidates endorsed by Ocean Champions, visit www.oceanchampions.org.