Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, my amendment would exclude the Southern California Planning Area from being leased for oil and gas production as part of any proposed plan under this bill. It is just over 1 year ago that our community experienced an oil spill that posed a grave ecological disaster that devastated local wildlife, our coasts and our ocean, and small business owners who rely on our coastal activity for their livelihoods. This kind of disaster is exactly why I introduced my American Coasts and Oceans Protection Act to prohibit any new leasing for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas along the southern California coast, from San Diego up to San Luis Obispo. As I said when I introduced the bill last Congress, it is time to put our environment and our coastal economy first, not the out-of-state fossil fuel companies that profit while polluting our coastline. It is also important to note that our southern California economy relies heavily on ocean-based businesses. In San Diego and Orange County alone, the ocean economy accounts for roughly $7.7 billion in economic activity and sustains more than 140,000 jobs in coastal tourism and recreation. Along California's coastline, fishing, tourism, and recreation supports nearly 600,000 jobs and roughly $42.3 billion in economic activity. For every massive oil spill our region experiences, we are not only adding to the pollution of our oceans, but directly jeopardizing thousands of jobs. Mr.…”