Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise in opposition to Amendment No. 4253, which would prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing its lead paint renovation rule. As we all know, lead poisoning can lead to learning and behavioral disorders so it is absolutely vital that all precautions are taken to protect children from exposure to lead paint. EPA issued the Lead Paint Renovation Rule because more than one million of America's children are still being poisoned by lead-based paint in their homes. This new rule, which was finalized on April 22nd of this year, requires that contractors receive lead paint abatement training and certification from EPA to do work in certain facilities like homes, schools and day care centers. I certainly appreciate the concerns that Senator Collins, Senator Alexander and other members have raised on behalf of contractors who have had difficulty getting access to their required training particularly in States like Tennessee that have recently experienced natural disasters. Two weeks ago when the Committee marked up this bill, I committed to Senators Collins and Alexander that my staff and I would work with them, and with EPA, to see if their concerns could be addressed. Our staffs worked with EPA for several days, but unfortunately, we were not able to come to an agreement regarding an administrative solution to this problem.…”