Political Quotes

“this amendment to S. 1072 preserves the basic expansion of eligibility for storm water mitigation projects but removes a mandatory 2 percent set-aside for storm water which was added in committee. While I protect storm water mitigation project eligibility for funding from highway programs, I oppose sending another Federal Government mandate to the States, telling States they must set aside 2 percent of their surface transportation programs for storm water activities regardless of the actual need in the State. There are few greater champions of Federal funding for water quality and drinking water in the Senate than myself and my colleague from the State of Maryland with whom I chair and serve as ranking member-- depending upon who is in control--of the appropriations subcommittee which funds water projects and programs in the EPA budget. Senator Mikulski and I year after year have squeezed the rest of the budget to put badly needed funding for clean water and safe drinking water measures into our bill because we know there are great needs. Every year we have to restore hundreds of millions of dollars that OMB, on a bipartisan basis, always takes out of the State revolving fund. Last year we appropriated $1.35 billion to States for the clean water funds and $850 million to States for their drinking water funds. Every year we appropriate millions of dollars to protect, sustain, and restore the health of our Nation's water habitat and ecosystems.”