Political Quotes

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support this appropriations bill, which provides funding for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, and related agencies. This bill would provide vital funding for water infrastructure, State drinking water systems, national parks, and Everglades restoration projects. Yet we have been locked in a nonsensical shutdown because President Trump continues to insist on his ineffective and offensive border wall scheme. While the President throws a tantrum, people are suffering and our environment is suffering. Many of us have seen the pictures of the piles of garbage. Our environment cannot withstand this onslaught. They are overflowing in many of our national parks. Our national parks are the crown jewels of our Nation's natural heritage. In 2017, the National Park System drew more than 330 million visits, including more than 10 million in my home State of Florida. These visits are not just from Americans, but also from people all around the world who came to see the natural wonders America has to offer. In 2017, national parks contributed $35.8 billion to the Nation's economy and $613 million to Florida's economy, and they supported 306,000 jobs nationwide. Yet, today, many are closed or short-staffed, and a diminished law enforcement presence puts the well-being of visitors and wildlife at risk.…”