Politics Hits: 1436

Mucarsel-Powell Votes for Ban on Offshore Drilling in Federal Waters in Eastern Gulf, Florida, Atlantic Ocean

Politics Hits: 1436
Politics Hits: 1436

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26), member of the New Democrat Coalition Climate Change Task Force, praised House passage of the Protecting and Securing Florida's Coastline Act (H.R. 205), which blocks new offshore drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida, and the Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act (H.R. 1941), which blocks new offshore drilling along the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines.

water drill“Florida’s unique ecosystem is too delicate to put at risk to the hazards drilling poses,” said Mucarsel-Powell. “Offshore drilling puts our tourism industry and fishing industry at risk—two of the biggest factors in our economy here in Florida. Drilling should never take priority over keeping our ecosystems healthy or our fishermen’s jobs. It’s time to put the health and wellbeing of our community over the greed of corporate polluters.”

In addition to not being a long-term solution to our country’s energy needs, Pentagon officials have warned against drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico for years, calling it incompatible with military training needs. On Tuesday, Mucarsel-Powell delivered a floor speech in support of these two bills.

A video of the speech can be found 

 and a transcription is below.

I rise in support of the Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act and the Protecting and Securing Florida’s Coastline Act. It’s estimated that 11 percent of Florida’s plants species and 883 vertebrate and invertebrate species are endemic to our state. Florida has 114 federally endangered or threatened species. The Florida Reef is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States. Florida’s unique ecosystem is too delicate to put at risk to the hazards drilling poses. Offshore drilling puts our tourism industry and fishing industry at risk—two of the biggest factors in our economy here in Florida. Drilling should never take priority over keeping our ecosystems healthy or our fishermen’s jobs. It’s time to put the health and wellbeing of our community over the greed of corporate polluters.