Coral Reef Mapping. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) offered an amendment to the supplemental appropriations bill to strike provisions earmarking $2.5 million for mapping the coral reefs in Hawaii. Noting the bill’s title ("Making supplemental appropriations for further recovery from and response to terrorist attacks…"), McCain argued: "I knew of many devastating effects of the terrorist attacks on our homeland. I did not know of any disruption of the coral reefs in Hawaii associated with the terrorist attacks…."
A motion to table (kill) McCain’s amendment was agreed to on June 6, 2002 by a vote of 65 to 31 (Roll Call 137). We have assigned pluses to the nays.
