Providence, RI – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today applauded fresh momentum on bipartisan marine debris cleanup efforts, including reauthorization of his Marine Debris Program, and amendments to the Save Our Seas laws passed by Whitehouse and Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK).
“As the climate crisis rages on, I am proud of the bipartisan progress Senator Sullivan and I have made on oceans issues,” said Whitehouse, co-founder of the Senate Oceans Caucus. “This end-of-year momentum will position us well in the new year to address the plastic deluge that is choking our oceans and harming human health.”
As a co-founder of the Senate Oceans Caucus, Whitehouse plays a key role in crafting bipartisan policies to confront the major challenges of ocean plastic pollution. Whitehouse and Sullivan’s Save Our Seas 2.0 Act was signed into law in 2020. The bipartisan legislation built on the success of the Senators’ original Save Our Seas Act, which became law in 2018.
In December, the Senate passed legislation by unanimous consent to reauthorize the Marine Debris Program and make improvements to the Marine Debris Foundation, including by allowing NOAA to make in-kind contributions and ensuring that the Foundation can receive additional funding from governmental and non-government entities.
