Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer my amendment which would help protect our Nation's public waters and coastline. My commonsense amendment would prevent additional leases for drilling on Federal lands on the Outer Continental Shelf. Fossil fuel companies can currently access public lands and waters to help secure our Nation's energy independence and reduce energy costs for hardworking American families. Yet, even as Americans faced high gas prices in 2022, oil companies failed to use thousands of existing permits for millions of acres that they had already leased. Currently, oil companies are sitting on more than 2,000 active leases covering 12 million acres of Federal waters. Mr. Chair, 75 percent of these leases aren't being used. We should use existing leases, rather than increasing threats to our coasts, including the beautiful coast in my State of North Carolina. That is why my commonsense amendment seeks to protect our Nation's shores, public waters, and marine life. Thirty states have shorelines, and millions of Americans rely on clean beaches and clean oceans for countless jobs, nutritious food, and much-loved recreation. In closing, I encourage all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this reasonable, commonsense amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.”