The legislation will place a two-year moratorium of the Army Corps of Engineer’s plan to erect barriers along the Cumberland River in Kentucky and Tennessee, including Barkley Dam.
“I am pleased that we were able halt the Corps’ overreaching plan to take away some of the best fishing in Kentucky,” Whitfield said. “The Corps has tried rushing through with their plan to implement permanent restrictions without providing any information on their rationale for doing so. With the passage of this legislation we can now work toward a solution that doesn’t take away one of Kentucky’s favorite pastimes – fishing.”
The Freedom to Fish Act, which was introduced by Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander, is co-sponsored by Senators Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul and Bob Corker. It will now be sent to President Obama to be signed into law.
This news is exactly what Lyon County Judge-Executive Wade White was hoping for.
"I'm extremely excited. This is something that we've been hoping for for quite awhile now, and the more that the Corps would ignore us, the more we knew that we had to have legislation. For the Senators and Congressmen to push through this type of legislation this fast is really reassuring to us that they really did understand this issue, and they're behind us 100 percent," White said. "It's a big shot in the arm for us if we can get this signed by the President, to know that that $3-4 million tourism impact to these communities is saved."
White said he's already heard from fishermen by email and on social media, and they are also excited with the news. The next step, White said, is for citizens to contact the President, urging him to sign the bill into law.
"Start calling the White House and emailing the White House. If people could start doing that, and ask him to sign the "Freedom to Fish Act", that will help," White said. He will be distributing specific contact information very soon.
White said the act, when signed by the President, will strip the Corps of Engineers' ability to enforce the restrictions. White said he's not sure if the buoys that have already been installed in Tennessee will be pulled up.
Kentucky US Senator Rand Paul applauded the move Tuesday."I am thrilled that Congress has taken action to protect Kentucky's residents and businesses from the Army Corps' burdensome plan," said Paul. "This is an encouraging day for Kentucky anglers, recreational enthusiasts, small businesses, and lake communities. I'll continue to fight alongside Kentuckians in stopping government overreach."
U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell praised the House for passing his bill.
McConnell said, “This is great news for fishing enthusiasts and business owners in Kentucky, and I want to thank Congressman Whitfield for helping to move it through the House of Representatives,” Senator McConnell said. “For decades, Kentuckians and anglers from far away have enjoyed the pleasure of fishing the tailwaters on the Cumberland River. For many in this area, it’s become a rite of passage. So you can imagine the outrage at a decision by the Obama Administration to end this proud tradition in the name of big-government-certified safety and security."
"They're assuming that our fishermen are stupid. I fished with my father as a kid. We knew, we didn't need any advice from anybody about how to do that safely. You don't do that when the dam is spilling. The practical effect of what they're trying to do is prevent some of the best, if not the best fishing on the entire lake," McConnell said. "Recently, I had the chance to talk directly with many area anglers and business owners about the disastrous effect the Army Corps plan would have on their livelihoods, and thanked them for making their voices heard. When that many people unite as one to stand against such a wrongheaded proposal, you’d think this administration would to listen. They didn’t. So today, we are sending them a message by passing legislation to block them from restricting fishing access to Cumberland River. I urge the President to sign it into law without delay."
McConnell said he does expect the President to sign the bill, since it passed unanimously in both chambers of Congress, but he did say that the Corps of Engineers' move is indicative of a larger problem in the government - meddlesome beaurocrats.
"We've seen it at the IRS, for example. We've seen over at Health and Human Services when it comes to Obamacare. Basically, assuming we're not very smart and they're here to help us run our lives," McConnell said. He thinks it's time for the federal government to restrain itself, and if they won't, "Freedom to Fish Act" is an example of how Congress will do it for them.
Regarding the ongoing hearings about the IRS, McConnell said the process is just beginning, and nobody should jump to conclusions. The only thing that is known is that the IRS targeted conservative groups, but who gave orders, when it happened, and when they knew the details will all be revealed soon enough, and the investigations will be lengthy and detailed.
Following a December 20 meeting in Grand Rivers, public outcry has been echoed by elected officials at all levels of government. Whitfield met with Corps' officials on February 5 to discuss their plan, and publicly demanded an alternative solution ten days later. In the last few days of February, Senators from Kentucky and Tennessee, along with Whitfield, introduced the "Freedom to Fish Act" in their respective chambers of Congress.
On May 15, the Senate approved a provision in the Water Resources and Development Act which permanently prevents installation of barriers at Dams, but passage of the WRDA may take a few months to pass the House. McConnell then introduced a separate, temporary bill on May 16 to insure the Corps cannot move ahead with its plan. That two-year moratorium passed both chambers unanimously, and is now headed to the President's desk.
