Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I am very grateful to the distinguished senior Senator from New Jersey for joining me again this week to bring attention to the challenges that climate change and rising seas pose for our coastal communities. Our States--New Jersey and Rhode Island--shared the unforgettable experience of Superstorm Sandy, which roared ashore on higher tides and warmer oceans. We know, in New Jersey and Rhode Island, how vulnerable we are. As sea levels rise and storms intensify, the National Flood Insurance Program should be one of our government's best tools to educate and prepare our communities for the changes that carbon pollution is driving to our coasts. But the program falls well short of this basic goal. Instead of tackling its shortfalls head-on, ahead of the next big storm, for instance, we are getting set to punt again on the Flood Insurance Program. My Ocean State, much smaller than New Jersey, has 400 miles of coastline threatened by sea level rise and storm surge flooding, so telling homeowners and coastal businesses that we will get to it eventually is not good enough. Our coastal risk is growing, not shrinking. A 2017 Zillow chart shows that over 4,800 homes in Rhode Island-- 4,800 families' homes--valued at nearly $3 billion would be under water by 2100, using an optimistic assessment of only 6 feet of sea level rise. Rhode Island's Coastal Resources Management Council is now planning for our State to see up to 9 to 12 feet of sea level rise by then.…”