Congressman Walter B. Jones (D-N.C.) has represented the First District of North Carolina since a special election brought him to the 89th Congress in 1966. In 1981, he became Chairman of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, which has a diverse jurisdiction ranging over the U.S. Merchant Marine, Coast Guard, oceanographic programs, fisheries and wildlife issues, and the Panama Canal. He is an original sponsor of oil spill compensation and liability legislation.