Susan Davis: “I rise to support the Capps- Rahall-Miller amendment as a matter of equity for California in its long effort to protect…”

“I rise to support the Capps- Rahall-Miller amendment as a matter of equity for California in its long effort to protect its coastline from the potential effects of offshore oil production. Many of us remember the devastation to the Santa Barbara coastline because of an oil spill. The state of California has been actively fighting these leases since then, including a 1994 law permanently banning new offshore oil leasing in state waters. Like Florida, the coastal resources of California are critical to the strong economy of the state as well as to the aesthetic appreciation of its citizens and people around our Nation. I have been proud to join the authors in a series of efforts to insist that California be protected from potential environmental effects of new oil and gas offshore drilling. It is important to protect our coastline by preventing the administration from expending funds to allow new drilling activity.”