Full Committee Legislative Hearing to Review RESTORE Act

Washington, DC – The Transportation Committee, chaired by U.S. Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL), will hold a legislative hearing on Wednesday to review H.R. 3096, the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2011 (RESTORE Act).

The RESTORE Act of 2011 was introduced by U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) and a bipartisan group of 24 Members representing Gulf Coast districts.  The bill has been referred to the Transportation Committee, as well as the Natural Resources Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee.  If enacted, the legislation would establish a Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund in the Treasury and a Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council.  It would also redirect 80 percent of any Clean Water Act administrative and civil penalties paid by those responsible for the DEEPWATER HORIZON oil spill to the five Gulf Coast states (Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas) to aid in economic and ecological recovery following the explosion and sinking of the DEEPWATER HORIZON mobile offshore drilling unit in April 2010. 

More information on Wednesday’s hearing can be found here.

 

WHAT: Hearing of the Full Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, U.S. Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL), Chairman:                        

“Restoring Jobs, Coastal Viability and Economic Resilience in the Gulf of Mexico: H.R. 3096, the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2011”

 

WHEN: 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, December 7, 2011

WHERE:  2167 Rayburn House Office Building
                        Washington, DC 20515

A live webcast of this hearing will be available at http://transportation.house.gov

WITNESSES:

Panel I:
• Gulf Coast Members of Congress

Panel II:
  • Mr. Craig Bennett, Director, National Pollution Funds Center, United States Coast Guard
  • Mr. Robert Haddad, Chief, Assessment and Restoration Division, Office of Response and Restoration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Panel III:
  • The Honorable Garret Graves, Chair, Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana
  • The Honorable Robert Craft, Mayor, City of Gulf Shores, Alabama
  • The Honorable Bill Williams, Commissioner, Gulf County, Florida
  • Mr. Julian MacQueen, Chief Executive Officer, Innisfree Hotels, Inc.
  • Dr. Robert Weisberg, University of South Florida
  • Mr. Mike Voisin, Motivatit Seafoods
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PHOTO: Rayburn House Office Building