opening statement

Reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act is a very important task.

We need TSCA reform because of the public's systematic exposures to industrial chemicals without sufficient safeguards to protect public health.

I would be concerned about any proposal that wiped out those protections.

TSCA reform is about protecting human health and the environment from dangerous chemicals by systematically assessing and managing chemical risks in this country.

Last year, President Obama laid out an agenda to address one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time: climate change.

Let me close by saying that I know many of my colleagues across the aisle are skeptical about whether humans contribute to climate change.

I am supportive of the Administration's efforts to transition the United States to a lower-carbon economy.

In 2013 there were seven extreme weather events, which I think is kind of a nice way of saying great big huge horrible storms, that cost the economy over $1 billion each.

As we conclude the panel, I wanted to thank every one of you for coming here today to inform us.

There has been some discussion today about the potential increase in costs if the carbon capture and storage rule is--when it is implemented.

I wanted to ask you also--thank you for your testimony--that you mentioned in your testimony that the EPA plans to issue proposed guidelines to lower carbon pollution from existing power plants by June of this year and that the Agency…

The impacts are real and we must do all that we can to mitigate the effects of climate change.

That is another way of saying, ignore our budget because it is not real.

So are we to ignore the fact that you are claiming $12.9 billion in savings from IPAB?

And the question is, where is it coming from? What are those justifications?

I would just quickly say to my friend from Massachusetts, he should look at the unprecedented original appendix of the trustees' report that talks about the double counting that occurred.

a lot of this can be done on the traditional setting. When you have a lottery and decide who can get a good education and who can't, that raises additional questions.