Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wish to join my colleagues in expressing my serious concern with the 5-year oil and gas leasing plan released by the Interior Department that proposes opening up vast portions of U.S. waters for possible oil exploration and development, including along the Atlantic seaboard and the coast of Maine. I am opposed to any effort to open waters off the coast of Maine or any proximate area to offshore drilling, which could negatively affect the health of Maine's fisheries and other coastal resources, threatening to harm not only the environment but the State's economy as well. The Maine lobster industry, for example, has an estimated $1.7 billion impact to the State's economy annually, not to mention the many other fishing, aquaculture, and coastal tourism industries that help to drive the State's economy. These critical industries are dependent on Maine's pristine waters, and even a minor spill could damage irreparably the ecosystem in the gulf of Maine and create serious economic disruption. I look forward to working with the administration to ensure that the Interior Department's plan is revised to pose no unnecessary threats to the economy and way of life in coastal Maine. ____________________”