Every week, we hear about gridlock in Washington, D.C., attacks on science and new environmental rollbacks. As ocean issues become more prominent on the global stage, will the United States be left behind? Are there areas where progress can be made? After spending a week in Washington for Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) and moderating a Congressional roundtable on bipartisan action, Jessica Leber, deputy managing editor of Oceans Deeply, discusses these questions with CHOW organizer Kristen Sarri, chief executive of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.