South Carolina Rep. Joe Cunningham Sounds Off Air Horn To Demonstrate Seismic Testing

Congressman Joe Cunningham made it loud and clear: In a recent hearing, he used an air horn to demonstrate what seismic testing in the ocean might sound like for sea animals.

He asked Chris Oliver, an assistant administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, how much louder he thought the seismic blasts would be compared to the jarring noise of the air horn.

"I honestly don't know," Oliver responds.

In a reasonable distance, Cunningham says, "It's 16,000 times louder."

Here & Now's Lisa Mullins speaks with Rep. Cunningham (@RepCunningham) on his attention-grabbing move, the issue of seismic testing, and his fight against offshore drilling.