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WASHINGTON, DC – Today Congressman Henry E. Brown, Jr. (S.C.) called on Congress to bring responsible energy legislation to the House floor. Speaking during debate on tourism and recreation in the Chesapeake Bay region, Brown made the following remarks (CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO OF CONGRESSMAN BROWN'S STATEMENT):
"In my District of coastal South Carolina my constituents are dealing with the same problems as those who live and work along the Chesapeake Bay. Just as the watermen of the Chesapeake Bay cannot afford to bring their boats out of the dock to catch blue crab due to all time record high diesel prices, my constituents in our fishing communities cannot bring their shrimp boats on the water to catch shrimp due to the high cost of diesel fuel.
Mr. Speaker, it is irresponsible for our Democrat colleagues to continue obstructing responsible energy legislation that will help our energy crisis from being considered on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Currently we depend on foreign and in many cases unfriendly nations for over 60 percent of our nations energy needs. This is a serious national security concern for my constituents in coastal South Carolina.
On behalf of all of the recreational and commercial fishermen, the shrimpers, the tour boat operators and the recreational boaters in coastal South Carolina, I would like to ask the Democratic majority: Why are we not voting today on the many pieces of legislation that have been introduced that would open up domestic sources of energy and help them get back on the water immediately?”
Commercial fishing and crabbing industries are important economic drivers for both South Carolina and the Chesapeake Bay states, respectively. Commercial fishing is a $30 million a year business in SC while crab fishing in the Chesapeake is a $40 million business for Maryland and Virginia.
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