{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-poliquin-win-major-protection-maine-urchin-dealers", "Pingree, Poliquin win major protection for Maine urchin dealers", "2016-09-07", "2016", "2016-09", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "A bill introduced by Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin to ease federal inspection of several species of seafood, including urchins exported from Maine, passed the U.S. House today.\u00a0\n\"Urchin dealers in Maine should be exempted from these inspections just like lobster and other shellfish are,\" Pingree said. \u00a0\"This is a highly perishable product and the shipments keep getting held up waiting for someone from the federal government to sign off on them. \u00a0This is a common sense reform that removes an unnecessary regulatory burden and protects Maine jobs in the urchin industry.\"  \n\t\u00a0  \n\t\u201cThis is a big win for Maine jobs,\u201d said Poliquin. \u201cOur state\u2019s sea urchin and sea cucumber industry employs more than 650 hardworking Mainers and is a critical component of our coastal economy. \u00a0These men and women take on an extremely dangerous job in diving for their catches in treacherous conditions. \u00a0There is no reason for bureaucrats in Washington to get in the way of their livelihoods by imposing unnecessary and harmful rules that directly threaten their businesses.\u201d  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tPingree was contacted by Maine urchin dealers in late 2014, and Poliquin in early 2015 after he took office, after federal officials started requiring the inspection of urchins entering and leaving the United States. \u00a0Currently, processors buy urchins harvested in Maine and Canada and process them in Maine. \u00a0Urchins from Canada are inspected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when coming into the state. \u00a0After they are processed, all urchins\u2014regardless of where they were caught\u2014are again inspected before being exported. \u00a0Almost all processed urchins are sold to markets in Asia.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tJust last week Pingree had to intervene when two shipments of urchins from Maine, worth an estimated $50,000, got delayed at JFK airport in New York while inspectors were off duty over the long Labor Day weekend. \u00a0Because of Pingree's efforts, the shipments were cleared by officials and allowed to be transported out of the country.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tPingree and Poliquin\u2019s bill would put an end to repetitive, mandatory inspections of urchins and sea cucumbers being exported from the country. The House Natural Resources Committee amended the bill to also exempt squid, octopus, and cuttlefish from these inspections.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tIn June, Poliquin sent a letter to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy urging that this bill be brought to the House floor for a vote. \u00a0The House Natural Resources Committee also held a hearing on the legislation at Congressman Poliquin\u2019s request earlier this spring.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tPingree and Poliquin were also successful in getting language into a spending bill for the Department of the Interior but because the appropriations process in Congress is not moving forward, passage of their stand-alone bill today makes it much more likely that the provision will become law this year.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tPingree and Poliquin's bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-poliquin-win-major-protection-maine-urchin-dealers"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9891139343380928, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}