Deborah Koff Ross: “The bill we are considering today does not protect U.S. consumers, and, instead, it is a giveaway to Big Oil. The fossil…”

“The bill we are considering today does not protect U.S. consumers, and, instead, it is a giveaway to Big Oil. The fossil fuel industry already controls large swaths of our public lands and our waters. Offshore, the industry already has over 2,000 active leases covering 12 million acres of Federal waters--75 percent of which are not even being used to produce oil and gas. North Carolinians cherish our pristine coastline and rely upon a clean and healthy marine ecosystem to support robust tourism, recreation, and fishing which are vital to our economy. They are the economic lifelines of many of our coastal communities. {time} 1945 Elected officials of both parties in North Carolina, up and down the Atlantic Coast as well, ranging from county commissioners to Governors, have expressed staunch opposition to opening our waters to offshore drilling. Putting our coastal economy and environment at risk is the last thing that North Carolinians need, and our neighbors to the north and south agree. Congresswoman Mace, my neighbor to the south, made this same point today. My amendment would take the simple step of preventing the plan required by this bill from including oil and gas leasing in the mid- Atlantic, including my home State of North Carolina. This protects our constituents, our economy, and our environment.…”