Today, the National Safe Boating Council presented Rep. Michael C. Burgess (TX-26) with the National Safe Boating Council Confluence Awards which recognizes Members of Congress who have worked to better the resources and vision of safe and recreational boating opportunities on America's Waterways.

A member of the House Boating Caucus, Congressman Burgess represents a sizable portion of North Texas which houses multiple lakes including Lake Ray Roberts, Lake Lewisville and Lake Grapevine. Nationally, Texas ranks 6th among the states for the number of registered boats with just over a half a million. This statistic alone makes boating safety a major health and financial issue for the state of Texas.

“I am honored to receive this award,” stated Rep. Michael Burgess. “As a doctor, the safety of my constituents is a top priority. With the beautiful lakes we have in the 26th District, I knew it was critical to become involved in boat safety.”

Next week begins National Safe Boating Week (May 22-28, 2004). This year’s theme: “BOAT SMART. BOAT SAFE. WEAR IT!” covers the many aspects of safe boating. Smart and safe boating can help in our Nation’s homeland security efforts by keeping our safety forces available instead of looking for a boater that has had a mishap due to lack of education or not following common safety practices. Boaters simply need to “Boat Smart and Boat Safe” to help in this effort.

The Congressional Boating Caucus is an informal, bipartisan group of U.S. senators and representatives concerned with issues affecting the recreational marine industry. The caucus seeks to improve the economic viability of the industry and support the protection of the environment, boating safety and the creation of international trade opportunities for the industry.

The mission of the National Safe Boating Council is the foremost coalition for the advancement and promotion of safer boating through education with memberships in over 325 U.S. and Canadian organizations.

For more information on National Safe Boating Week, please visit their website at http://www.safeboatingcampaign.com.