National Fishing and Boating Week
2006 Highlights
Capitol Hill Visits
ASA members used the opportunity provided by National Fishing and Boating
Week to visit with a number of Capitol Hill offices. The meetings gave members
a chance to discuss a number of important sportfishing issues with critical
members of Congress or their staff. ASA members and staff met with Senator
Ted Stevens (R-AK) concerning the Magnuson-Stevens Act Reauthorization for
which he is the prime senate sponsor.
Staff for Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Representative Richard Pombo (R-CA)
also met with ASA concerning the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Representative Walter
B. Jones, Jr. (R-NC) met with ASA members to discuss the ongoing issues relating
to access at Cape Hatteras and staff from Senator Richard Burr's (R-NC) and
Representative Charles Taylor's (R-NC) offices also discussed surf fishing
access issues. Also raised at the North Carolina meetings was the difficulty
of getting approval for replacement of the bridge over Hatteras Inlet.
The federal manufacturers’ excise tax was the topic of meetings with
Senators Max Baucus (R-MT), Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Trent Lott (R-MS) and Representatives
Nancy Johnson (R-CT) and Clay Shaw (R-FL).
