Whitehouse leave me alone. [laughter] i am telling you, if we ever clean up plastics in the ocean, it will be because of these two folks in senator leahy and i will be willing coconspirators. I have been told about this a lot, and im astounded by the problem mankind has created for the oceans. We can be better stewards of gods creation. We are going to have a hearing today about some solutions, and we are going to find a way to create some kind of fund that people can contribute to. I know they are doing it at the world bank, but i like the global fund idea where the world comes together under American Leadership to solve a problem. Thank you colleagues, for your leadership. Thank you, mr. Chairman. With all the joking that goes back and forth, it is safe to say that the chairman and i feel very strongly about this. We do want to help. Were inwhitehouse and i vietnam last year. We met with the vietnamese officials and scientists to discuss Ocean Plastic pollution and had a great meeting. Here is a country with a 2000 mile coastline and when i say we, that means all human beings, are causing irreparable harm to the oceans marine wildlife. Keep in mind, it is the primary source of protein for billions in this world. We have acidification from carbon emissions, Plastic Wastes, rivers emptying into oceans with discarded plastic. And the coral reefs are dying. And from a personal point of avid my wife and i are scuba divers. Over the last 25 years, we have seen more and more of the damage this has caused. We have seen a dead sea turtle choked to death by a piece of shou. C it had around it it was literally hanged by the plastic. But then weve seen a whole lot of others. We have seen debris, plastics, and it is disappearing, but that in itself stops a whole ecological system and it could cover half a tennis court of debris in a dead whale. Just think about that. Seabirds are ingesting it. What i was shocked to find when one of our diving to find out that even plankton are ingesting plastics. A lot of people say recycling is the answer and i wish that was true, but less then 10 of the worlds plastic is recycled. Some plastics, like plastic bags cannot be recycled. Even plastics that are recyclable are only used a couple of times and then discarded. [indiscernible] in my state of vermont, we have a new law eliminating plastic bags and straws. A Program Since 1973 before you were born, mr. Chairman. Let the record reflect that. A whole year for i was in the senate. That was polluting, among other things. Lake champlain. I do not want to go into all the things. Senator whitehouse can talk about their coastlines. I will put my whole statement in the record, but we often talk about our the next generation. I think of our children and grandchildren. This is not a world they should be in if this continues. It is not a world anyone of us want to be in. In fact, it is a world that will not support a lot of people the world supports today. Thank you for having this hearing. Well said. Sen. Graham well said, senator leahy. I promise are two senators will get you out and look forward to your testimony, but we are going to do something about this. I know the average american thinks we have lost our mind appear, but there is a lot we agree on, and getting plastics out of the oceans should be something we should come together on with that. I will turn it over to senator sullivan. Sen. Sullivan thank you for the opportunity to talk about this important issue. I would like to say it is great to be here with my fellow friend and colleague senator whitehouse. We have spent a lot of time on this issue together, and the good news is we are making progress. I will not brag too much about alaska, but when we are talking about coastlines, we are aware of this challenge. Some of you may know the statistic that my state has more coastline than the lower 48 states combined. When we have beach cleanups, which is often a mix of plastic, pollution, fishing gear, trash, so much that it is measured in tons, not pounds, and mr. Chairman, as you know, the vast majority of this comes from overseas. We are not perfect in our country, but this is a problem that demands an International Element to address it. Senator whitehouse and i worked on the save our seas act in the last congress and it was passed. We had a very useful signing ceremony with the president , who is quite motivated on these issues. That led to the save our seas act 2. 0, which passed the senate in january and is under consideration in the house. Senator murphy, who is here, senator coons, van hollen, they were cosponsors, and mr. Chairman, you were, as all. It is not a Silver Bullet but crs did call that the most comprehensive Ocean Cleanup legislation ever to pass the United States senate. So we are proud of that bill. It does not solve everything, but, as i mentioned, mr. Chairman, that has a lot of provisions, the save our seas act 2. 0, to tackle this problem globally. I will not go through all the elements of it, but it is working internationally and prioritizes state department usaid, and i know you will hear from them today on the United States being the leader in Marine Debris efforts globally. I think you are starting to see that, mr. Chairman. You saw in the usmca, a provision on ocean debris. There is an entire chapter on Sustainable Fisheries that i had a little bit to do with. But this is, i think, it is a challenge, but at the end of the day, this is a good news story. Why is it a good news story . Because it is an environmental issue that we can target and we can solve. The estimates are some 70 of all the worlds global plastics, Marine Debris comes from 10 rivers in asia and africa. We can solve this, and here is the other good news element. You are seeing all the key stakeholders. Democrats, republicans in the congress, the trump administration, which i think really wants to play an important and constructive leadership role, and the key ocean environmental groups, industry. Senator whitehouse and i were at the launch of the alliance to end Plastic Waste, a group of nearly of the top 50 companies in our country that have pledged over 1. 5 billion to clean up the oceans, and that is the key, mr. Chairman. Key stakeholders all working together on an environmental issue we can solve. That is why this hearing is important and our Work Together , we think, has made progress, and we are very honored, mr. Chairman, senator leahy, that you are holding the hearing to continue our leadership efforts. Bipartisan, with the United States leading on an issue that people are coming together on and we can solve, so we would like to thank you for holding this hearing. Sen. Graham thank you for all you have done to bring this to my attention. Senator whitehouse . Sen. Whitehouse thank you, chairman graham, for hosting this. First of all, it is a treat to be here and see you and senator leahy who Work Together so well on so many issues. It is a good sign for the senate, the relationship that you two have, and it gives me confidence that we will make progress as a result of this hearing. And it is good to be here with my compadre dan sullivan. As he said, we do beach cleanups with trash bags. So it is aps real problem for alaska but the entire world because plastic pollution and Marine Debris befoul all our oceans and hurt Global Coastal communities. About 8 Million Metric Tons of this trash goes into the sea every year. If you stack five grocery bags full of plastic trash on every square foot of shoreline in the world and kick it into the ocean, that is the scale of what we are doing every year, and at this rate, there will be more plastic by weight in the ocean than fish by weight in the ocean by 2050. It is an Unexplained Health issue because plastic breaks down into tiny, microscopic pieces and infiltrates the marine food change, with harm we need to understand to fish wildlife and human health. We are not doing a very good job at handling this. As a country and as a world, much of what we fail to manage goes into the ocean. International efforts will help us combat this Plastic Ocean pollution and we can make positive changes here at home because our waste and Water Infrastructure needs improving, as does our recycling system. But we must reduce new Plastic Waste and create economic incentives to clean up the Plastic Waste already befouling our seas. Save our seas, mentioned by dan, and save our seas 2. 0 show bipartisan support to address Marine Debris and Ocean Plastic pollution. Save our seas is already law, and save our seas 2. 0 was passed by unanimous consent and we hope to pass it in this congress. We need to boost International Engagement and strengthen our domestic response. And so what is out there right now . Ocean trust fund, problue, at the world bank already helps to address the threat of Ocean Plastics and it raises awareness and integrates International Efforts and promotes private sector investments. The United States should step up on combating ocean pollution, as we traditionally have in fishery management and ocean management, both by contributing to this fund and perhaps by establishing our own to support it and vindicate our own policies. We should strengthen the department of state and usaids Ocean Plastic pollution work. They support International Efforts to address Marine Debris. There is no reason for the u. S. To be laggards in this space. Studies are already underway at the National Academy of science to evaluate the geographic distribution of our own Plastic Waste, where we export it, whether there is adequate management, and what conditions result. Providing a fund can help us act on these findings. Ocean plastic pollution is a global problem with bipartisan support for action in congress and strong statements, as senator sullivan said, from the president , secretary of state, and our trade representative. There is no reason not to move forward. It will take an International Response because so much of the problem is overseas. Powering up the state and launching funding for plastic reduction through problue, our own, or both, would ensure United States is an acknowledged leader in this space. There is no reason not to move forward, mr. Chairman, and there is every reason to move forward. For the sake of our coastal communities, for the sake of human health, and the sake of a healthy, beautiful, and clean ocean. I know you are an advocate for the atlantic shore of south carolina, as i am, for our beautiful sparkling shore and bay in rhode island, and i appreciate very much that you and that famous scuba diver, Ranking Member leahy, our enthusiasts, so i appreciate it. So, you know, before you leave, i know you are busy, thank you both. I am not joking. I do not realize the scope of the problem. It is just mindboggling that we have done this to the ocean. The good news is there is a way out of this mess. You have to follow your leadership and where money helps, we will put money. Thank you both. The other two witnesses are usaid assistant administrator for the bureau of Economic Growth education environment. Good to see you. Thank you. And Principal Deputy assistant secretary of state for oceans and environmental and Scientific Affairs you must have a big door jonathan moore. Mr. Moore, the floor is yours. Mr. Moore mr. Chairman, thank you very much. Thank you for the opportunity and the invitation. Ranking member leahy, and the other esteemed members of the subcommittee, it is an honor to be here with you today, together our my colleague to discuss goal in addressing the issue of Marine Debris. While working on and through the covid19 pandemic, the state department continues to address Marine Debris and other issues, collaborating with the interagency to leverage American Resources and expertise. As we have just heard from senator sullivan and whitehouse, Marine Debris is a global problem with global consequences. It results from mismanaged waste, usually starting on land and then entering the ocean. The American People see this on the coast of the atlantic, pacific, and arctic oceans and on lakes and rivers. It is estimated that the impact, including our economy is over 10 billion a year. It harms ecosystems and Fishing Industries through economic losses due to ghost gear, or abandon fishing gear. Floating debris also poses navigational hazards. It includes glass, rubber, and plastic. As senator whitehouse noted, current estimates say there currently are more than 150 million tons with another eight million tons added each year. That works out to a full garbage trucks worth of plastic entering the ocean every minute. I must note, mr. Chairman, that the peoples republic of china is the biggest offender, responsible for nearly 30 of Plastic Waste, far more than any other country. The prc must address its own Waste Management issues, landbased and sea based, and must do so with its own resources. Marine debris affects environmental and food securities, economic security, resource management, and potentially human health, where the challenges are immense. Our focus is on recycling Sustainable Materials management to prevent waste from entering the environment and waste debris removal efforts. The whited the United States has a wide array of means to help. The state department, epa, National Science foundation and the department of energy are highlighting u. S. Expertise and innovation to combat Marine Debris through new technologies, and other cuttingedge solutions. We are dedicating to supporting and highlighting the best available scientific information and Data Collection methods necessary to inform policymakers and private industry about the economic, environmental, and Health Implications and identify hotspots. The bipartisan save our seas act of 2018 directed the state department to take a comprehensive approach on Marine Debris. The department, through our bureau of oceans and international and environmental Scientific Affairs, are working with academic industry and nongovernmental stakeholders, in addition to congress, to engage multilaterally, regionally and bilaterally around the world. We also partner with epa, noaa, usaid, the National Science foundation, the coast guard, and u. S. Trade representative to work with International Stakeholders and underscore the importance of public and private cooperation. We are engaging with private sectorled initiatives, including the alliance to end Plastic Waste, mobilizing billions of dollars to help countries improve their Waste Management and recycling systems and to create a value chain for recycled plastics. In international, contrasting the balanced approaches, we face calls for bands on single use plastics, legally binding agreements on plastics, and measures that would inhibit the market for recycled goods. Barriers, bans, and trade restrictions to not consider negative tradeoffs and can reduce recycling by lowering the value of commodities, risking more waste entering the environment. Instead, we need innovation, changes in behavior, and significant improvement in Waste Management systems to reduce Marine Debris and plastic pollution. These solutions should afflict reflect regional and national contexts, as well as local practices and realities. The challenge of tackling Marine Debris presents opportunities for u. S. Business. The American Waste and recycling industry generates an estimated 100 billion in annual revenue. The global Waste Management market is expected to reach over 530 billion by the year 2025. Broadening markets would yield benefits to american companies, as well as countries with undeveloped Waste Management. Our embassies are vital in helping u. S. Business navigate everchanging national and local conditions and identifying potential opportunities. Over the past five years, the state department has managed over 5. 8 million in grants. We gave a nearly 1 million grant to the ocean conservancy to aid the implementation of vietnams action plan on Marine Debris and