{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://veasey.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/veasey-and-graves-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-preserve-critical", "Veasey and Graves Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Preserve Critical Marine Habitat in Gulf of Mexico", "2023-12-18", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "TX", "Marc A. Veasey", "V000131", "veasey.house.gov", "veasey", "https://veasey.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 U.S. Representatives Marc Veasey (Texas) and Garret Graves (Louisiana) introduced legislation to preserve marine ecosystems and protect fishing access for anglers in the Gulf of Mexico by improving longstanding artificial reefing programs.\n\nOffshore energy infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico serves as prominent, biodiverse habitats for fish, corals, and crustacea to aggregate. Since 2000, over 60% of the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico have been removed \u2013 eliminating critical reef habitat and decreasing access for recreational and commercial fishing.\n\n\u201cToday, I\u2019m proud to co-lead the Marine Fisheries Habitat Protection Act with my colleague Congressman Graves of Louisiana,\u201d said Rep. Veasey. \u201cOur legislation will help create a pathway for more Rigs-to-Reefs conversions and bolster the overall program that is repurposing out-of-service offshore oil and natural gas production platforms into thriving areas for aquatic wildlife.\u201d\n\n\u201cEveryone who goes fishing off the coast of Louisiana knows that the best catches come when you\u2019re close to a rig,\u201d Rep. Graves said. \u201cCasting aside our favorite fishing spots by thoughtlessly removing energy infrastructure threatens the health of our offshore ecosystems and reduces opportunities for folks to fish in Sportsman\u2019s Paradise. Our bill will encourage participation in the Rigs-to-Reefs program and highlights what can be accomplished when a diverse group of stakeholders work together to accomplish shared goals.\u201d\n\nThe legislation amends the National Fishing Enhancement Act of 1984 to require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to conduct an assessment of the relationship between offshore infrastructure and marine ecosystems to determine whether converting to an artificial reef is appropriate. It also amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to provide flexibility within the decommissioning process to encourage greater participation in the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement\u2019s Rigs-to-Reefs Program, while ensuring the safety of the environment and fisheries.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"]], "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://veasey.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/veasey-and-graves-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-preserve-critical"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5231489669531584, "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"}