Miami area Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell dove dozens of feet under water to make a point.
In a new digital ad released by her re-election campaign for Congress, Rep. Mucarsel-Powell is recorded scuba diving with a large sign saying she will “never” support offshore drilling.
Energy companies continue to pressure lawmakers in Congress and the Trump Administration to open up waters on the West Coast of Florida to drilling.
The Department of the Interior flirted with the idea in 2018 but decided against it after bipartisan backlash.
A moratorium on drilling is expected to expire in 2022, so the issue will likely come up in the next Congressional term.
It is estimated 3.6 billion barrels of oil lay beneath the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
In the past, Mucarsel-Powell helped pass the Defending Our National Marine Sanctuaries from Damaging Chemicals Act to ban the use of coral-killing contaminants in marine sanctuaries.
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Mucarsel-Powell will likely face Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez in the November election if he survives the August 18th primary.
On this issue of drilling, the two candidates actually agree.
In a statement to NBC 6, Mayor Gimenez said, “Drilling off the coast of Florida is harmful to our environment and our economy. In Congress, I’ll fight to ensure that Florida’s marine ecosystem is protected and our coasts are free of unsightly oil rigs”
