Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wish to speak about legislation I am introducing today aimed at providing a better understanding of the Arctic Ocean and its resources. A changing climate is radically reshaping this part of the world. This change brings challenges and opportunities. As you may recall, nearly 3 years ago, I delivered my first speech to this body on the changing Arctic and what our Nation needs to do in order to prepare for it. That work continues today. Retreating sea ice is leading to dramatic increases in shipping traffic of both goods and tourists. Our Nation's energy needs demand we investigate and responsibly produce the massive amounts of oil and gas found in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. These resources are now available due to retreating sea ice, the state of technology and the price of oil. Meanwhile, Native Alaskans have depended on and thrived for thousands of years because of the living resources of the Arctic Ocean. In order to manage this change, we need a better understanding of the Arctic Ocean, and the legislation I am introducing today provides a firm foundation for that work. It establishes a new coherent research strategy to gather baseline information and to provide a holistic look at the Arctic Ocean. Importantly, it doesn't create any new bureaucracy.…”