Washington – Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today signed on to a bipartisan Senate Resolution, led by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), expressing support for the National Sea Grant College Program.

The Senators highlighted the importance of the program to improving the health of coastal ecosystems and sustaining fisheries, and its large economic impact in coastal and Great Lakes communities. The Sea Grant program works in 31 states and two territories to create or sustain more than 20,000 jobs and 2,900 businesses annually, and in 2015, had an economic impact of $575,000,000 from an investment of $67,300,000—an 854-percent return on investment.

The President’s proposed budget would eliminate funding for the Sea Grant program. In contrast, the Senators’ Resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that the National Sea Grant College Program is “of vital importance to improving the economy, health, stewardship, and preparedness of the United States; an exceptional example of effective partnerships between Federal, State, and local governments; and a valuable investment for the Federal Government.”

The Resolution is also cosponsored by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.).

A copy of the full resolution can be seen here.

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