As we celebrate Earth Day in April, I want to take a moment to reflect on how we can honor this planet that nurtures and cares for us.
We must recognize that we have not always upheld our duty to act as environmental stewards. In fact, Earth Day was born in response to a man-made environmental disaster — an enormous oil spill off the coast of California in 1969. One year later, on Apr. 22, 1970, the first Earth Day, 20 million Americans took to the streets to support environmental protection. By the end of the year, Congress had authorized the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
I’m inspired by the progress we’ve made over the past 50 years to curb pollution, eliminate toxic chemicals, and keep our air and water clean. However, we still have a lot of work to do, and we need to act fast. South Florida already is facing the consequences of climate change. I am proud that we recently introduced HR 9, the Climate Action Now Act, which forces the United States to remain in the historic Paris Climate Agreement. In order to properly celebrate Earth Day, I want to update you on this bill and other environmental legislation I’m supporting in the House.
Protecting Our Oceans — I’m supporting a series of bills that will prohibit offshore drilling. The COAST Anti-Drilling Act, the Florida Coastal Protection Act, and the Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act will ban drilling for oil and gas off the Atlantic and Florida coasts and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In addition, I’m a cosponsor of the Atlantic Coastal Economies Protection Act, which bans seismic testing off the Atlantic coast. Together, these pieces of legislation constitute a huge step towards keeping our oceans clean and protecting marine wildlife.
Restoring the Everglades and Preserving our National Parks — South Florida is home to several spectacular natural parks, including the Everglades National Park and our own Biscayne National Park. The Everglades, in particular, are enormously consequential to our South Florida water supply and ecosystem, and I have been pushing for expansive restoration projects since the day I was sworn in to Congress. I’ve also made Everglades funding a priority of mine as I compile my appropriations requests for the 2020 fiscal year.
Finally, in order to protect these public lands that serve as crucial habitats for endangered species, I cosponsored the ANTIQUITIES Act of 2019, which establishes a National Monument Protection Fund.
Combating Climate Change ¬— Florida already is experiencing the first effects of climate change as sea levels rise and hurricanes become more vicious. We need to invest in clean energy and sustainable initiatives in order to reduce our carbon emissions and keep our communities safe. The Climate Action Now Act demands that the United States honors the Paris Climate Agreement by establishing a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent below our 2005 level by 2025. I’m proud to be a cosponsor of HR 9, and I’m also working with my colleagues to explore carbon fee legislation as another tool to fight climate change.
As I work to protect our natural world, I want to hear from you and your neighbors about how these issues impact our shared community. Be sure to save the date for these upcoming Town Hall meetings:
Richmond Heights Town Hall on Healthcare, Apr. 25, and Little Havana Town Hall on Jobs & the Economy, May 29.
Specific time and location information can be found on my website at https://shalala.house.gov/calendar/.
As always, please stop by our district office if you need assistance with an issue or want to share your concerns about a policy matter. We’re located at 7700 N. Kendall Dr., Suite 605, Miami, Florida 33156, and we’re open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Don’t hesitate to give us a call if you need assistance with a federal agency, applying for a federal grant, or requesting a U.S. flag to be flown over the Capitol. You can visit our website at https://shalala.house.gov/services or give us a call at 305-668-2285 or 202-225-3931.
Finally, be sure you stay up-to-date with the latest developments from our office on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @RepShalala.
