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Floor Speech

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Mr. NADLER. Mr. Chairman, I thank Ranking Member Grijalva for yielding and for his leadership in opposition to the polluters over people act.

I must say that the concern of the gentleman from New Jersey--we just heard about ocean animals--is touching, considering the effect that climate change will have on all wildlife and all of us, for that matter.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this bad faith amendment aimed at slowing our Nation's transition to the affordable clean energy economy we need to address the climate crisis and create good-paying American jobs. With nearly 164,000 New Yorkers already working in the clean energy industry, the State is expected to create more than 10,000 additional jobs through its commitment to developing 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy in the coming years.

Mr. Chairman, if you are worried about the potential adverse effects of wind energy development, you will be pleased to know that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is already required to perform substantial environmental reviews. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's Renewable Energy Program subject matter experts are best equipped to analyze potential environmental and industry impacts of offshore wind.

Considering this, it is strange that my colleague from New Jersey is supporting an appropriations request to defund the Renewable Energy Program.

It is also strange that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle claim to worry about the industry's impact on whales when most of them oppose the North Atlantic right whale vessel strike reduction rule. The data shows that most whale killings are attributed to vessel strikes.

Again, Mr. Chairman, this is a bad faith attack on offshore wind, and I urge my colleagues to oppose it.

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