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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor="#EBE2C5" lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Subject:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Hastings’ Statement on 8th Annual National Pollinator Week<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:#EBE2C5'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=710 style='width:532.5pt'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr style='height:138.75pt'><td valign=top style='background:#C9C9C9;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:138.75pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:1.0pt'><a href="http://alceehastings.house.gov/Components/Redirect/r.aspx?ID=436542-42307283"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=710 height=185 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://alceehastingsforms.house.gov/images/ac_head.jpg"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=700 style='width:525.0pt;background:white'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=670 style='width:502.5pt'><tr style='height:7.5pt'><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:7.5pt'></td><td width=690 colspan=3 style='width:517.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:7.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></td></tr><tr><td width=10 style='width:7.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'></td><td width=340 style='width:255.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#ACACAC'>For Immediate Release</span></b><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#ACACAC'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td width=340 style='width:255.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#ACACAC'>Contact: Evan Polisar<o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td width=10 style='width:7.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'></td></tr><tr><td width=10 style='width:7.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'></td><td width=340 style='width:255.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#ACACAC'>June 17, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td width=340 style='width:255.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#ACACAC'>(202) 225-1313<o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td width=10 style='width:7.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'></td></tr></table></div></td></tr><tr style='height:15.0pt'><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:15.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></td></tr><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:17.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#164B85'>Hastings’ Statement on 8th Annual National Pollinator Week<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></td></tr><tr style='height:7.5pt'><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:7.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-line-height-alt:7.5pt'> <o:p></o:p></p></td></tr><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0 width=700 style='width:525.0pt'><tr><td width=25 style='width:18.75pt;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt ..75pt'></td><td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt ..75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><strong><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>(Washington, D.C.) </span></strong><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement in recognition of the 8th annual National Pollinator Week, which is celebrated from June 16 - 20, 2014: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>“As the co-founder and co-chairman of the Congressional Pollinator Protection Caucus, I am pleased to mark this year’s National Pollinator Week. Our nation continues to see an alarming decline in pollinators and we must do more to protect the birds, bats, bees, and butterflies that pollinate our food.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>“Seventy-five percent of all flowering plants and vegetables rely on the transfer of pollen between flowers for fertilization, and without bees and other pollinators, our nation may face a severe shortage of food. That is why I recently introduced H.R. 4790, the <em><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Highways BEE Act</span></em>, which will allow existing authorities to incorporate integrated vegetation management practices to help create badly needed forage along America’s highways.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>“I encourage all of my constituents to play a role in protecting pollinators. Through smart conservation practices, we can all help to revitalize the pollinator population.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='text-align:justify'><em><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>Congressman Alcee L. Hastings serves as Senior Member of the House Rules Committee, Ranking Democratic Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and Co-Chairman of the Florida Delegation.</span></em><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><em><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>###</span></em><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td width=25 style='width:18.75pt;padding:.75pt .75pt ..75pt .75pt'></td></tr><tr style='height:15.0pt'><td colspan=2 style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;height:15.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></td><td style='padding:.75pt ..75pt .75pt .75pt;height:15.0pt'></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><span style='display:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=700 style='width:525.0pt;background:#ABA89F'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";display:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=0 width=700 style='width:525.0pt'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div>
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