Environment

Protecting our environment is vital to the health of all Americans. I am committed to fighting for cleaner air and water, the preservation of our natural resources, and environmental policies that provide for the fair and equal treatment of people of all races and socio-economic classes.

President Theodore Roosevelt told Congress in 1907, "The conservation of our natural resources and their proper use constitute the fundamental problem which underlies almost every other problem of our national life." Indeed it does.

During my career in the House of Representatives, I have continually posted one of the most pro-environment voting records in Congress.

I was instrumental in the drafting and enactment of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), and I remain a key player today in securing federal funding for the implementation of the historic Everglades restoration plan.

Further, I have fought off efforts by the Bush Administration to drill off of Florida's shores and inside Big Cypress National Preserve. I oppose efforts to drill for oil in America's most pristine areas, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska.

In 2003, the House of Representatives adopted an amendment that I offered which increased funding for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) environmental justice programs to the highest level in history.

In the 108th Congress, I have consistently opposed Republican efforts to combat wildfires by destroying America's national forests, as well as President Bush's Clear Skies Initiative that will leave the air Americans breath today dirtier than it currently is.

I am a member of the House Oceans Caucus, advocating for the preservation and protection of our nation's waters.

I will always fight for the future of our environment. The health, safety, and well being of America's children are depending on it.