Darren Soto

Do we have your commitment to hold the line on at least the threatened status for manatees, given the erratic population numbers over the past couple of years, due to weather?

Mr. Secretary, first I want to thank you for publishing the sand skink relocation permit in the Federal Register this week.

As you know, there has been a 30 percent decline in the African elephant population from 2007 to 2014.

We just want to make sure it is no longer deemed a subspecies when there is ample scientific basis from some of our local universities.

I just want to express my concern of shifting it further than that, because we have a large shift in population based upon if we have a cold winter.

In honor of Black History Month, I want to recognize Dr. J.A. Wiltshire.

I was thrilled initially to hear that Florida's offshore drilling plan was off the table.

I encourage this Committee to work with our Governor Rossello, the Puerto Rican legislature, and the PROMESA board to embrace renewables.

I think it is only reasonable to have a mix of Federal and private dollars for that recovery.

I encourage you all to set up regions to be bid out and allow utilities, both our cities, rural cooperatives, and investor-owned utilities, to be able to bid.

As to embracing renewables, we must continue on this path of having 50 percent of our energy by renewable energy.

I encourage this Committee... to embrace three principles: (1) to embrace renewables; (2) to rebuild with resiliency; and (3) to enact critical reforms.

PREPA is failing the Puerto Rican people.

FEMA's response has been wholly inaccurate. They are already living that nightmare.

Next I would like to highlight Esteban Garces, Florida State director of Mi Familia Vota. Esteban directs the Florida operation of Mi Familia Vota, managing strategy, operations, local policy development, campaigns, civic engagement…

It is Hispanic Heritage Month, and I want to take this time to honor some great heroes in my district of Hispanic descent, who range from reporters to civil rights heroes, to community organizers, to businessmen and women, and I am just…

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 1190, line 23, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $48,000,000)''. Page 1190, line 25…

When I looked through the royalty rates for other resources, we have 12.5 percent for onshore oil and gas royalties, 18.75 percent for offshore oil...

We, in the citrus areas, are facing a huge crisis with citrus greening.

Turning next, this Committee is about new infrastructure, which is really an opportunity in rural America.

I would strongly encourage you all to consider pilot programs on the subject, being that the profit margins are pretty good, and they really bode well for the future of our American farmers.

I strongly encourage you to consider continuing doing that, whether it be biofuels through byproducts of commodities that aren't used, whether it be hydroelectric or solar, these are all great opportunities for areas that may not have…

I have yet to be given one Member of Congress to date that actually supports opening up the Atlantic to seismic testing.

The vast majority of Members on the East Coast absolutely, unequivocally, oppose this

We are dealing with a giant tourism, fishing economy on the East Coast, one that would make any small economic benefit of trying to open this up for oil drilling be very short-sighted