Barbara Boxer

The need for TSCA reform grows. Chemicals are found in most everything we use and consume, and they are essential for our health, our well-being, and our prosperity.

I want to thank you both, Senator Boxer and Senator Lautenberg, as well as members of the Committee, for your continued leadership on this very important issue and your efforts to bring about reform of TSCA.

Flame retardants are only one example of the problems that we have with our system of regulating chemicals.

I want to commend Senator Lautenberg for his leadership and his hard work to move forward with needed reforms.

Responses to additional questions from Senator Boxer.

Thank you very much.

I hope that my friends across the aisle will give it fair consideration.

What Senator Lautenberg is doing, which I so strongly support, is he is doing the common sense thing.

We need to reform TSCA to provide incentives and ensure that the safest chemicals are used in our products.

I am proud that this Committee will vote tomorrow on the Safe Chemicals Act.

Our State has a measure on the ballot, Prop. 35, so that Californians can take a stand against human trafficking.

To me, when we just look at the issue of children, the facts are that today right now 5.5 million children are somehow being forced into labor that they do not want to do that they should not be doing.

I think for that proposition to gain credibility, hearing the stories of these young people would be very, very helpful.

So we need to have a zero tolerance starting with the kids, just zero tolerance.

Was there any time remaining for Senator Udall? The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. He used 6 minutes. Tax Policy

If they want to go back to the days when we had journalism that really helped people, they ought to let everybody know that there is no safe level of lead.

What we learned is, A, there is no safe level of lead, and that the impacts fall hardest on our children.

There is no safe level of lead, that there are terrible problems associated with any level of exposure.

I have to say, the press is always here when we are having a battle royale. Not too many press are here.

I have to tell you, that is important for every single parent to understand.

This continual neglect is a moral outrage.

That is making sure that our kids are in danger.

If they suffer a problem with IQ, diminishment, decreased academic performance, attention deficit disorder, and behavioral problems, those things are not reversible.

I really appreciate your saying this.

So there is no safe level, no matter what it is? If there is some lead in the blood, it is not a good thing. Is that right?