With Two Rouda Amendments, House Passes Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act

Press Release

Washington, D.C. -- This afternoon Rep. Harley Rouda (CA-48) voted to pass H.R. 1941, a bill that bans new drilling off the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts and Straits of Florida. The bill passed with two amendments authored by Congressman Rouda.

Said Rouda, "California is home to more than 800 miles of coastline, and its coastal economies annually generate hundreds of billions of dollars in wages nationally and nearly $2 trillion in GDP. A disaster could put at risk nearly 746,000 West Coast jobs and $53 billion in GDP that relies on healthy ocean ecosystems and a clean marine environment."

"Offshore drilling disasters impact more than just coastal communities -- it impacts future generations of Americans. Citizens deserve to know which companies are drilling off our shores, the locations of their facilities, and the safety and state of their operations."

Amendment 1: Makes public the inspection information and payments into the "Ocean Energy Safety Fund," required by H.R. 1941.

Amendment 2: Adds a provision to the bill that would require the Department of Commerce to complete an economic impact study of potential damage related to offshore drilling.

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