Kathy Castor: “I thank the gentleman from Hawaii for yielding the time. I rise today in support of the Coastal and Great Lakes…”

“I thank the gentleman from Hawaii for yielding the time. I rise today in support of the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act, H.R. 729. I also rise as a proud Floridian and as the chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Our select committee is tasked with developing a climate action plan in the coming months. Communities across America are grappling with the rising costs of the climate crisis. Here in Congress, we are working to be good partners with our neighbors and communities back home and provide the tools they need to take care of America's diverse and vital coastal communities. That is why, last month, I visited two of my colleagues in south Florida, Congresswoman Donna Shalala and Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel- Powell--they are in the Florida Keys and Miami Beach--to see how their communities are responding to climate change. Here we are with Lad Akins of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. They are doing a lot, but we have to do more. Across the Keys and Miami Beach, and all across this great country, local officials are taking bold action to adapt to sea level rise and make their communities more resilient, but they need our help. That is why Congress must ramp up bold climate legislation, like this bill, which includes 10 separate measures to help coastal communities become more resilient. One of these bills will create a grant program for coastal communities to create living shorelines.…”