Donna Shalala: “I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), my good friend and a distinguished Congressman, for yielding me time.…”

“I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), my good friend and a distinguished Congressman, for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this rule and these three bills that protect our coasts and our coastal economies. Mr. Speaker, I particularly want to thank my fellow Floridians, Mr. Rooney and Ms. Castor, for introducing the bipartisan legislation that places a permanent moratorium on oil and gas leasing in the eastern Gulf. Beyond protecting coastal ecosystems, these bills help ensure military readiness, given the long history of military training and activities, particularly in the Gulf. {time} 1245 Offshore drilling is a dirty and dangerous venture that threatens our fragile coastal ecosystems, and in Florida, offshore drilling threatens our very way of life. Mr. Speaker, millions of tourists come to Florida each year to join us in enjoying our pristine beaches and our clean water. Our livelihoods depend on a healthy and clean marine environment. Offshore drilling threatens nearly 610,000 jobs and roughly $37.4 billion in GDP in Florida alone. The risk of another catastrophe like Deepwater Horizon is too great to endanger Florida's healthy ocean resources and thriving coastal economies. In 2018, Mr. Speaker, Floridians spoke out loud and clear. A State constitutional amendment to ban offshore drilling in Florida's waters passed with nearly 70 percent of the vote.…”