Backed by about 100 fishermen and industry supporters at the Fishermen's Memorial "Man at the Wheel," U.S. Sen Scott Brown Saturday called for President Obama to fire NOAA chief administrator Jane Lubchenco, citing her "stonewalling of congressional oversight …," her "unresponsiveness to official inquiries" and her ongoing push for a catch share management program that is "decimating our fleet."
Brown came to Gloucester and made his call during a 10 a.m. Saturday press conference that drew industry supporters from Gloucester, New Bedford and from Point Judith, R.I. Brown was joined in speaking by Mayor Carolyn Kirk, and by state Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester.
Brown's call on the president for Lubchenco's ouster comes three weeks after the NOAA chief had drawn fire from several parties for her testimony at an Oct. 3 U.S. Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing at the State House, and it comes amid a growing call for a change in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration leadership from industry backers and lawmakers like Congressmen John Tierney and Barney Frank.
"With job losses accelerating, time is running out for our fishing communities, and Washington is too out of touch to notice," Brown told the gathering on Stacy Boulevard. "Not only has Administrator Lubchenco failed to help our fishing industry, she has made it worse.
Read the complete article from The Gloucester Times