Bruce Westerman: “I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I also thank her as a freshman Member for her proactive work on the committee.…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I also thank her as a freshman Member for her proactive work on the committee. Representative Luna's amendment requires the Comptroller General to have a report on all potential adverse effects of wind energy development in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the South Atlantic, and the Straits of Florida planning areas. Until this report is published, the Secretary of the Interior is prohibited from publishing a notice or holding a lease sale for wind energy developments in the area. As she stated, the report must evaluate the potential impacts of wind energy development on military readiness and training activities, on the marine environment, ecology and tourism, including the economic impacts on communities adjacent to the planning areas. We cannot compromise our military readiness and training activities, which are crucial for national security. By requiring a Comptroller General report, we can make informed decisions about the potential impacts of wind energy development on our national security, marine environment, and local economies. Therefore, I support this amendment and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of it.”