Apex predator threatening Northwest salmon sparks rare bipartisan push to 'kill more'
An apex predator threatening a key sector in the U.S. Pacific Northwest is now the unlikely source of a bipartisan alliance in the House of Representatives.Sea lions and their impact...
By Fox News · Fox News
An apex predator threatening a key sector in the U.S. Pacific Northwest is now the unlikely source of a bipartisan alliance in the House of Representatives. Sea lions and their impact on salmon are a growing issue for Washington state , according to Reps. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash. "There’s a wall that stops the two parties from meeting in the middle on a lot of issues," Gluesenkamp Perez told Fox News Digital. "Most of the time, you have to go brick by brick to tear it down. Every now and then, you can chuck a 2,500-pound sea lion at it." DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER DOUBLES DOWN ON FELLOW DEM, ACCUSING THEM OF 'ELECTION SUBVERSION' The California sea lion population has boomed, thanks to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972. It's now posing a threat to already endangered native fish species in Washington State. Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife has deemed sea lions a "serious threat" to Columbia River salmon and steelhead trout. Both types of fish are key to the state's culture, economy and natural ecosystems. "Salmon are a huge deal in Washington State. We have extensive salmon-bearing rivers that have historical cultural significance to our Native American tribes, a lot of interest and economic activity with sports fishermen, and our rivers are also the site of really important hydroelectric dams," Baumgartner told Fox News Digital. ROGAN BLAMES LIBERAL POLICIES FOR ALLOWING 'MONSTERS' TO RUN AMOK, EAT HOUSE PETS "There are now huge numbers of sea lions in a far disproportionate amount to any sort of historical numbers that sit at the mouth of the Columbia River … and eat salmon all day. They have a huge impact on the number of salmon." Gluesenkamp Perez said action to reduce the invasive sea lion population is "exactly the type of real-world problem that Americans want Congress to be able to solve." "Many of my colleagues love to put their partisan blinders on, but it’s hard for even them to ignore their eye…