Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I am really grateful to the junior Senator from Delaware for inviting me to his home State and for joining me here today for my ``Time to Wake Up'' speech No. 139. Senator Coons and I spent a terrific day touring the Delaware shore. You can say whatever you want about us, but on that day we were the two wettest Members of the U.S. Senate. I can assure you of that. This is Capitol Hill Ocean Week, and Wednesday is World Oceans Day, so it is a good time to consider the effects of global climate change in our oceans. The oceans have absorbed one-third of all carbon dioxide produced since the industrial revolution and over 90 percent of the excess heat that has resulted. That means that by laws of both physics and chemistry, the oceans are warming, rising, and acidifying. Rhode Island is the Ocean State, but give Delaware credit. From the last report in 2013, it generated around $1 billion and over 23,000 jobs from the ocean based in tourism, recreation, shipping, and fishing. Like Rhode Island, Delaware sees its sea level rise at a rate of 3\1/3\ millimeters per year along the Delaware shore, 13 inches up over the last 100 years. Delawareans care about this issue. Over a quarter have reported personally experiencing the effects of sea level rise, two-thirds worry about the effects of sea level rise, and over 75 percent called on the State to take immediate action to combat climate change and sea level rise.…”