Political Quotes

“As a proud Virginian, I rise today in defense of our region's coastal communities, our Nation's military and defense equities, the Chesapeake Bay, and the economy of the Commonwealth of Virginia. I am concerned that the legislation under consideration today would open the door to drilling of oil and gas off the shores of Virginia, something that has never been done before and something staunchly opposed by Virginians. Offshore oil and gas drilling poses a grave threat to our economy, our natural resources, and America's military infrastructure along Virginia's coast. Virginia's economy relies heavily on deepwater port commerce, and offshore drilling operations would severely impact these industries. According to one report, offshore drilling could jeopardize approximately 86,000 Virginia jobs, as well as roughly $4.8 billion in Virginia's GDP from coastal tourism, commercial fishing, and aquaculture alone. According to NOAA, in 2016, Virginia's commercial seafood industry collected more than 440 million pounds of seafood with a value of close to $300 million. This driver of Virginia's economy could be threatened under the overarching legislation considered here today. I also point out that Virginia's Wallops Island could come under threat. Wallops Island is home to space infrastructure that enables NASA missions, but offshore drilling could undermine decades of Federal, State, and local economic development efforts related to our space program.…”