Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 21, the Strategic Production Response Act. My amendment would prohibit offshore drilling for oil and gas along the coast of New England and the contiguous waters of the State of New York. In Rhode Island and throughout New England, the health of our coast is sacred. Rhode Island's coastline supports good-paying jobs and economic growth in every city and town across our State. Crucial coastal industries like tourism, commercial and recreational fishing and boating are really the lifeblood of our communities. According to NOAA, the NOAA Office for Coastal Management, Rhode Island's coastal economy employs more than 467,000 people and contributes $59.3 billion in Gross Domestic Product annually. Rhode Islanders do not want oil and gas drilling just a few miles off our shores threatening our health, our economic livelihoods, and our way of life. When the former President announced a plan in 2018 to open New England's coastal waters to offshore drilling, I introduced the New England Coastal Protection Act to ban his administration and any future administration from taking this disastrous action. So I am here, Mr. Chairman, to ask my colleagues to support this amendment that really, without it, this legislation threatens the economic stability of my constituents and the quality of life for those who live in coastal communities all across the New England coast.…”