Bill Posey: “I thank the gentleman for yielding and his kind words. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 988, the National…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding and his kind words. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 988, the National Estuaries and Acidification Research Act. First, I want to thank Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Congressman Brian Mast for working with me and our staff to advance this important bipartisan legislation. I also want to thank the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for their valuable input. The NEAR Act is a national proposal with a very special connection. People in my district, the Eighth Congressional District of Florida, understand in a very deep way the economic and environmental importance of the ocean and our estuary. My district is bounded on the east by the Indian River Lagoon, which is North America's most diverse estuary. As the name implies, our estuary is a lagoon. It is an estuary separated from the ocean by barrier islands. The exchange of waters between the lagoon and the sea makes it an estuary. {time} 1000 The lagoon is 156 miles long, but it is only a half mile to 5 miles wide and averages just 3 feet in depth. Our lagoon is a wondrous nursery for sea life, but its physical features make it especially vulnerable to environmental threats. Unfortunately, the Indian River Lagoon and other valuable estuaries throughout our country are being threatened by ocean acidification, along with other stressors.…”