Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, or CBRA, requires the identification of hazardous areas on the Atlantic and gulf coasts and makes Federal subsidies off-limits to people who choose to develop those lands. Particularly in this time of rising sea levels and increased storm surge brought on by global warming, CBRA is critical to helping protect American taxpayers and sensitive coastal ecosystems. H.R. 3572 would adjust the boundaries of several Coastal Barrier Resources System units in North Carolina, South Carolina, Rhode Island, and Florida. I am particularly pleased that long overdue remedies for the constituents of my friends, the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre), are included in this package. These changes have been carefully mapped by the Fish and Wildlife Service and reflect improvements in technology that have allowed us to show with great accuracy which parcels of land do and do not constitute ``coastal barrier resources'' under the law. As a result, numerous properties that were originally included by mistake will be removed, and other properties that have been identified as at-risk will be included. These changes to the Coastal Barrier Resources System are protective of private property rights, the environment, and the taxpayers. I support passage of this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.”