The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“IN RECOGNITION OF MIKE NUSSMAN ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE AMERICAN SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E343 on March 20, 2018.
The Department includes the Census Bureau, which is used to determine many factors about American life. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department is involved in misguided foreign trade policies and is home to many unneeded programs.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN RECOGNITION OF MIKE NUSSMAN ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE AMERICAN
SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION
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HON. ROBERT J. WITTMAN
of virginia
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, sportfishing provides outdoor recreation for more than 47 million Americans each year. In Virginia, we are blessed with some of the best fishing opportunities in the nation. From fishing for striped bass on the Chesapeake Bay, to fly fishing for trout in the Blue Ridge, to throwing beetle spins for smallmouth bass on the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, to chasing Cobia and Tuna off Virginia Beach--we have great waters and angling throughout our state. Fishing provides opportunities for youth and families to get into the great outdoors and enjoy our public lands and waters.
Like many outdoor industries, sportfishing is often overlooked as a significant job generator and economic engine. Nationwide, it is estimated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that recreational fishing generates $48 billion in retail sales, $115 billion in total economic activity and 828,000 jobs.
I should note that in 2016 Congress passed the Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act--The REC Act. In 2018, for the first time the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis included outdoor recreation's impact, including fishing and boating, in our nation's Gross Domestic Product.
Maybe the most important aspect of recreational fishing is that sportfishing manufacturers, anglers and boaters pay for most of state fish and wildlife agencies fisheries conservation and boating programs.
Through special federal excise and fishing license sales, anglers and boaters are providing more than $1.2 billion a year in funds that are allocated to the states. As a member of our Committee on Natural Resources, I'm well aware that sportsmen and women pay a large part of the bill rather than the U.S. Treasury.
Much of the this is due to the leadership of J. Michael ``Mike'' Nussman, president and CEO of the American Sportfishing Association
(ASA), the trade association that represents the recreational fishing industry.
Since 1993, Mike has served with distinction first as head of ASA's Government Affairs program then as President and CEO. While ASA has been a trade association since 1933, it has really been in the past 25 years that the organization has assumed a leadership role for not only manufacturers of rods, reels, lures, flies, waders and related apparel, but now for the overall fishing community. I might note with some pride that ASA is headquartered in Alexandria, VA.
With the leadership of former House members such as John Dingell and John Breaux and with the support of ASA, the excise taxes I mentioned have been expanded to cover programs such as wetlands restoration, boating safety and infrastructure and the establishment of the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF).
In fact, Mike Nussman lead the effort to establish RBFF to turn around a decline in recreational fishing which started to appear in the 1990s. The most recent USFWS data indicates an upward trend in recreational fishing including more diverse and urban communities.
Mike Nussman's success should come as no surprise. He worked for the Commerce Committee and Chairman Fritz Hollings of South Carolina over in the other body. Mike was the lead professional staff for the Subcommittee that oversees fisheries policy, NOAA and the Coast Guard. Prior to that he worked for the South Carolina Sea Grant program, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in science, and an MBA from the University of South Carolina.
Mr. Nussman's tenure at ASA improved the `business side' of his trade association. The sportfishing industry's annual trade show is now the largest in the world. His leadership made the organization financially strong, helping weather it through economic downturns.
He has served on numerous boards of directors and advisory groups from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, to Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America's Diverse Fish & Wildlife Resources. He also found time to serve as a United States Commissioner on the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.
Mike Nussman bought special expertise as a former Senate staffer to the recreational fishing industry and the conservation community. So, I think it's appropriate that he be recognized today for a job well done. Anglers and businesses across this nation can be thankful that he was at the helm.
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