the chair: -- melancon. mr. melancon: i thank mr. flake and i appreciate the importance of fiscal responsibility in getting our fiscal house in order is the best way to come out of this recession quickly, recession caused by eight years of irresponsible spending. and i'm aware that my friend was one of the few people that continued to hawk his side of the aisle. part of fiscal responsibility is for legislators to prioritize spending, projects that improve our constituents' safety, health and livelihood. this institute would be working towards developing standards and guidelines for seafood safety and establish sufficient sustainable practices. this project dovetails with the work being done in energy and commerce as we speak regarding food safety bill and the issues that confront us. the rash of food-related illnesses and deaths highlights the vulnerability of our country and what we face from unsafe food and imports. louisiana is the number one producer in the continental united states of the most valuable commercial shellfish speci