Lee Zeldin: “I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ratcliffe) and Mr. Thompson as well for both speaking in favor of this…”

“I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ratcliffe) and Mr. Thompson as well for both speaking in favor of this legislation, H.R. 1887. Plum Island is not for sale. The whole purpose of this legislation is to prevent the sale of Plum Island by the Federal Government to the highest bidder. Situated at the gateway of the Long Island Sound, Plum Island is treasured by my local community. As 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 a critical habitat for migratory birds, marine mammals, and rare plants. With recorded history dating back to the 1700s, Plum Island is also an essential cultural and historical resource as well. Since World War II, Plum Island has been utilized as a research laboratory. The facility, which has been under Federal jurisdiction since 1899, 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 in Kansas. To offset the cost of the relocation, a law was enacted that called for the private sale of Plum Island to the highest bidder.…”