Lee Zeldin: “I thank Mr. Donovan for his support. I rise today in support of H.R. 2182, to prevent the sale of Plum Island by the…”

“I thank Mr. Donovan for his support. I rise today in support of H.R. 2182, to prevent the sale of Plum Island by the Federal Government to the highest bidder. Situated at the gateway of the Long Island Sound, I personally had the pleasure of visiting this treasured island. In addition to being a critical resource for research, approximately 90 percent of the land on Plum Island has been sheltered from development, offering Long Island a diverse wildlife and ecosystem and critical habitat for migratory birds, marine mammals, and rare plants. Plum Island is also an essential cultural and historical resource as well, with recorded history dating back to the 1700s. The island held the U.S. military's Fort Terry, a coastal defense fortification, which was used through the end of World War II. Since then, Plum Island has been utilized as a research laboratory and has since grown to become what is known today as the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. In 2005, the Department of Homeland Security, which currently has jurisdiction over the island, announced that the Animal Disease Center research would be moved to a new Federal facility, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, NBAF, in Kansas. To offset the cost of this relocation, a law was enacted that called for the private sale of Plum Island by the Federal Government to the highest bidder.…”