Thank you, Chairwoman Bordallo and Chairman Costa, for holding this important hearing that considers if offshore energy development can coexist with healthy oceans.

I believe this is a very important topic for us to be addressing, particularly under the umbrella or the rubric of climate change.

Thank you, Madame Chair. And may I say at the outset, congratulations on this hearing.

We cannot let these challenges deter us from investing in our future.

It is also crucial that we reauthorize the Coastal Zone Management Act.

One of the best ways to invest is by protecting some of our nation's biggest economic drivers--our oceans and our coasts.

We need to reauthorize the National Marine Sanctuary Act.

Climate change is a very real and present problem. Human activities have changed the climate of the earth.

I just want to get this on the record as well and see if there is dispute about the fact that your five companies made a combined $119 billion in profits last year.

I represent Santa Barbara and the coastal area of California, where we do a lot of drilling offshore and onshore.

First, even if we wanted to, we simply can't drill our way to energy independence.