This story will be updated.
President Donald Trump came out in support of U.S. Rep. Jared Golden’s bill to extend a pause on federal regulations intended to protect endangered whales, bolstering a top priority for Maine lobstermen.
The Republican president’s administration issued a Friday letter saying Trump would sign the measure if Congress sent it to his desk. Golden’s measure would extend the six-year pause that was negotiated as part of a 2022 spending bill for another seven years into 2035.
An extended pause would neuter a four-year-old court ruling saying limits on the fishery must stand to comply with the Endangered Species Act. Lobstermen have contended that those rules pose a threat to the fishery, while conservationists squared off with top Democrats who allowed the pause to take effect under then-President Joe Biden.
“The need to protect Maine’s iconic lobster industry knows no party,” Golden, a Democrat from Maine’s 2nd District, said. “I’m grateful for [Trump’s] support for Maine’s lobstermen and hopeful that my colleagues in the House will join me in quickly passing this bill into law.”