Current status (as of 5/2/97):
The House version (H.R.408) has
passed the committee phase and is now pending for House Floor
consideration, which might occur as soon as next week (although so far it
looks as though it will be put off for a week or two). S.39 has not even
been considered by the Senate yet; a hearing a few weeks ago was canceled
by the Senate Commerce Subcommittee when Greenpeace (a supporter of the
Dolphin Death Act, for reasons that are still not very clear) submitted
testimony wavering towards a compromise with our side.
Recent Legistlative Action
On Apr. 16 1997, the House Resources
Committee marked-up H.R. 408 and ordered the bill reported. The Senate
Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries postponed a hearing on
S. 39, amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act relating to the
International Dolphin Conservation Program, scheduled for Apr. 17, 1997. The
Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries has tentatively
rescheduled a hearing on S. 39, amendments to the Marine Mammal
Protection Act relating to the International Dolphin Conservation Program, for
May 14, 1997.
All of this is good news
Clinton promised Mexico last fall,
after the defeat of the bill in Congress, that he would see to it that the
bill was passed in the new 1997 Congress as soon as possible. As you can
see, the bill is nowhere near passage, and faces another concerted
filibuster in the Senate by Boxer and friends. We also heard that the
supporters wanted the bills passed by the time Clinton visited Mexico,
which starts on Monday. The bills are stalled, and the controversy is
growing.
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