[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 144 (Tuesday, September 10, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H7565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        FEDERAL MORATORIUM ON OIL DRILLING IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

  (Mr. SOTO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, Florida hosted over 100 million tourists last 
year. They came from every State in the Union and from around the 
world. Many came to our world-class beaches. Florida's beaches are a 
national treasure beyond just our district, but across our Nation.
  We also have major Air Force exercises throughout the Gulf of Mexico. 
For this reason, there is a Federal moratorium on oil drilling in the 
Gulf. But in 2022, that moratorium is set to expire.
  It is time to end this looming deadline and make the moratorium 
permanent. That is why we have come together in a bipartisan fashion to 
do just that.
  This week, we will have a chance to protect Florida's wildlife and 
sea life, to protect our military operations and readiness, and to 
protect the national treasure of Florida's beaches for all Members of 
Congress' constituents and for the world. I urge all my colleagues to 
support this critical legislation.

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