[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 200 (Thursday, December 7, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H9747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




OPPOSING OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO

  (Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to, once again, 
vigorously and unrelentingly oppose offshore oil and gas exploration in 
the eastern Gulf of Mexico. I know this is an imperfect graphic, but 
what I have got here is a map of the Gulf of Mexico showing the 
Military Mission Line, longitude 86 degrees, 41 minutes, where the 
military doesn't want offshore drilling east of it, and neither do we 
citizens of Florida.
  This big blob here is where the oil companies want to go get oil and 
gas and tear up our Gulf of Mexico and change our coast from high-
quality residential development to things like this: huge, steel-hulled 
offshore supply vessels coming in our residential bays and estuaries.
  This is Sanibel Lighthouse. We don't want to see a commercial vessel 
like this in Sanibel Lighthouse, nor do we want to see one in the 
Gordon River of Naples surrounded by beautiful homes, trees, and second 
homes of retirees who have come to Naples to make it their home. This 
thing could be replicated in Fort Myers as well.
  We can't let our coast be changed irreparably by industrialization to 
support unnecessary offshore drilling.

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