THE LATEST CHEMICAL LEAK AGAIN PROVES WE NEED TO FULLY FUND THE US COAST GUARD
“Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee: I applaud the efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard for leading the effort to clean up the expanding chemical leak and to contain its damage”
March 10, 2015
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a Senior Member and the former Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee's Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee, released the following statement decrying the chemical leak from a tanker blocking the busy Houston Ship Channel and calls for a full investigation of the tanker:
"I call upon the US Coast Guard, the Houston Ship Channel, the Texas Channel and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to determine the resources being utilized by owners of oil tankers and barges to assist the U.S. Coast Guard in the recovery of the spilled oil. There must be full compensation for all workers and government entities impacted. This chemical leak demonstrates the urgent necessity of fully funding the U.S. Coast Guard so it has the resources needed to respond to disasters such as this.
"The Port of Houston and the Houston Ship Channel are vital parts of our local economy. Over 650,000 jobs generated at its terminals. They are responsible for more than $200 million annual operating revenues and approximately $200 million in capital improvement programs. They are responsible for nearly 70% of the container cargo in the U.S. Gulf and 42 million tons of cargo is handled annually. Finally, nearly $350 million awarded to Port Authority is registered to small businesses in the Houston area."
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Congresswoman Jackson Lee is a Democrat from Texas's 18th Congressional District. She is a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security and is the former Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security