OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

World Ocean Day

Floor Speech

Date: June 9, 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Environment

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Congressman Farr, thank you for your leadership on this. This is not a new issue for you. I remember your days in the California legislature, where you carried such legislation. You do represent one of the most pristine and one of the most precious parts of the California coast, the Monterey Bay. Therefore, it's appropriate for you to carry and it's appropriate for this Congress to act on this resolution, recognizing World Ocean Day and, beyond that, recognizing the critical importance of oceans to all of us.

It is the birthplace of life. It is the place where we find our climate, our oxygen, a lot of our food, and our commerce. It's also the place that we have over the years trashed. Trash is flowing into the ocean, sewage is flowing into the ocean, pollution of all kinds, and now the ultimate pollution of a blowout of an oil well in the Gulf of Mexico.

It's time for us to not only pay attention to the ocean, which this resolution does; it's also time for us to protect the oceans. We know that climate change, the increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is leading to the acidification of oceans. And that will kill much of the life of the ocean if it were to continue to increase.

What are we doing about it? Well, we are recognizing it today. We will take this as step one. Yes, the administration needs to be forthcoming with information. But we also need to rein in the oil industry and make sure that any drilling in the oceans is done in a maximum safe way. For the west coast, I have authored the West Coast Ocean Protection Act that would prohibit new leases off the west coast of California, Oregon, and Washington. That is the maximum protection. More needs to be done. This is a starting point.

This is a recognition of our responsibility as Members of Congress to take action not only with a resolution recognizing this day, but with solid laws that require the protection and provide the protection necessary for the ocean.

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