Bill Pascrell: “Chairman, and ranking member, I rise today on behalf of our oceans and the communities, economies and ecosystems they…”

“Chairman, and ranking member, I rise today on behalf of our oceans and the communities, economies and ecosystems they support. My home State of New Jersey boasts a multibillion dollar commercial and fishing industry. That's 50,000 jobs and $7 billion every year. Potential spills from oil and gas development imperil every one of these jobs and every one of those industries. That is 50,000 jobs and $7 billion a year, not to mention the threat to exacerbating climate change. An oil spill could trigger even greater devastation to the nearly 500,000 jobs supported by our State's tourism industry. Visits to the beautiful shore generates $16.6 billion in wages and adds $5.5 billion to the State's tax coffers. Too much is at stake. We cannot auction off our environment. We can't auction off our economy, and we sure as heck can't auction off our future to the highest bidder. We need to move away from dirty fossil fuels that would forever change the character of our coasts for the worse. We need to protect the Atlantic Coast by permanently banning offshore oil and gas drilling. Mr. Chairman, we need a concrete plan of action like this because the climate is changing in a way that threatens our national security, or ecosystems, and our economy. Thanks to H.R. 1941--and I commend the sponsors--the Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act, we are acting to permanently protect the Atlantic from offshore oil and gas drilling right now. I thank the chairman, Mr.…”