Political Quotes

“I want to thank the chairwoman for yielding me the time and for her support of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Congressman Posey's bipartisan National Estuaries and Acidification Research Act. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill, which would direct the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Ocean Studies Board to conduct a study that examines the existing science of ocean acidification and estuaries and provide recommendations to improve future research and management to inform mitigation decisions. As co-chair of the House Oceans Caucus and the Congressional Estuary Caucus, I know that acidification is not only affecting open oceans. Estuaries and nearshore waters are also faced with environmental stressors. Ocean and coastal acidification often present itself in the context of other coastal processes like runoff, erosion, and upwelled water from the oceans making it difficult to measure its individual effects on estuaries. We know that estuaries and nearshore waters are also experiencing the consequences of our inaction to address ocean and coastal acidification, and research has not kept pace with the needs of coastal communities. The NEAR Act would address the significant research gaps and urgent need to improve our understanding of the effects of ocean and coastal acidification. I want to thank Congressman Posey for his leadership on this bill, and his efforts to preserve our Nation's estuaries.…”