January 19, 2023 (Washington, DC) – Today, the Congressional Athletes Foundation (CSF) announced the new leadership of the Congressional Athletes Caucus (CSC) for the 118the Congress. The Congressional Athletes Caucus is a bipartisan, bicameral caucus with approximately 200 members in the House and Senate, representing all 50 states. The CSC champions efforts on behalf of America’s 55 million athletes that promote fish and wildlife conservation, access, and sporting opportunities, and works to combat efforts that seek to limit our traditional traditions of hunting, fishing, traps and recreational shooting. Collectively, the CSC is one of the most powerful and organized Caucus on Capitol Hill.
In the new Congress, the Senate leadership consists of Co-Chair Senator Joe Manchin III (WV), Co-Chair Senator John Boozman (AR), Vice-Chairman Senator Angus King Jr. (ME), and Vice-Chairman Senator Roger Marshall (KS). . In the House, the leadership consists of Co-Chairman Representative Bruce Westerman (AR), Co-Chairman Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA), Vice President Representative Garret Graves (LA), and Vice President Representative Jared Golden (ME).
“Outdoor recreation is a way of life in Arkansas that has shaped me and many other Natural State residents,” said Senator Boozman. “I am proud to serve as Co-Chair of the Congressional Athletes Caucus, which has been such a strong leader in advancing policies that protect the environment and preserve our planet for future generations to enjoy. I look forward to working together to continue this advocacy, crafting legislation to safeguard the long-term health of wildlife habitat and promoting responsible stewardship.”
“I am honored to once again serve as Co-Chair of the Congressional Athletes Caucus at the 118th Congress. Growing up in West Virginia, I was introduced to all that the outdoors has to offer from a young age and to this day, I am still an avid sportsman. Our nation’s hunting and fishing heritage is very important to who we are as a country, and the number of visitors to our public lands continues to grow as more Americans fall in love with the outdoors. I look forward to working with my fellow caucus members to ensure that people across the country can continue to enjoy the hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and outdoor traditions we know and love.” said Senator Manchin, Co-Chairman of the Congressional Athletes Caucus.
“It is an honor to serve as Co-Chair of the Congressional Athletes Caucus at the 118th Congress. I look forward to working with Co-Chair Bruce Westerman (AR), our colleagues in the Caucus, and the Congressional Athletes Foundation to promote the conservation practices necessary to perpetuate the privilege of people to fish and hunt.” said Rep. Panetta. “As the US Representative for the 19th Congressional District, I have some of the most pristine places on the West Coast to fish and forests to hunt. However, in the American West we face the ongoing threat of extreme weather events, from wildfires to floods, which can restrict and reduce our outdoor activities. The Congressional Athletes Caucus will continue to advance bicameral and bipartisan legislation to help conserve, manage and restore our forests, oceans, lakes, rivers, grasslands, wetlands and grasslands and protect endangered species and wildlife so that we can also support and sustain our nation’s outdoor recreational heritage.”
“Hunting and fishing are a way of life in my home state of Arkansas, so I look forward to serving as the Republican co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus.” said Rep. Westerman. “My role as chair of the House Natural Resources Committee presents a unique opportunity to further collaborate with the Caucus as we will be working together on many issues. I look forward to working with my friends, Congressman Jimmy Panetta, Senator Boozman and Senator Manchin, to advance the priorities of athletes across the country.”
“The Congressional Athletes Foundation extends our gratitude to the new leadership of the Congressional Athletes Caucus,” said CSF President and CEO Jeff Crane. “In the previous Congress, CSF was heartened by the number of critical conservation priorities that were signed into law, as well as the number of unsportsmanlike initiatives that were defeated. This good work would not be possible without the work of the CSC, which is a model for bipartisan cooperation and science-based legislation, two things that may be in short supply in our current political climate. The direction of the CSC in the 118the Congress brings unique and diverse expertise to the field of sport conservation policy, and CSF looks forward to all that can be accomplished for America’s original conservationists, our athletes, and athletes.”
Notable Achievements of the Congressional Athletes Caucus at 117the The congress included:
- The inclusion of the Chronic Debilitating Disease Research and Management Act and the Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act in the omnibus bill;
- The enactment of the Law for the Modernization of Access to Our Public Lands;
- The enactment of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which contained more than $40 billion in funds for athletes;
- Enactment of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Reauthorization Act of 2022;
- Passage of the US Wildlife Recovery Act at the House and Senate Committee level;
- The approval of the Committee of the Cottonwood Fix, the RISEE Act, and the US Outdoor Recreation Act;
- The inclusions of the language of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2023; Y
- Defeat numerous laws that sought to negatively impact our sporting and conservation heritage.
Congressional Athlete Committee Leadership: 118th Congress
Founded in 1989, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is the informed authority on outdoor issues and serves as the primary conduit for influencing public policy. Working with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC), the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus (GSC), and the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucus (NASC), the CSF gives a voice to hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and hunters on Capitol Hill and in all state capitals. advocate for vital outdoor issues that are the backbone of our nation’s conservation legacy. For more information on CSF’s policy work, visit www.congressionalsportsmen.org.
