Mike Levin: “I do not understand, in view of the importance of this legislation and, indeed, the light workload of the House this…”

“I do not understand, in view of the importance of this legislation and, indeed, the light workload of the House this year, why this bill was not brought up months and months ago. Now it is being brought up at the 11th hour, with only 14 or 15 legislative days left before Congress adjourns for the elections. Fourteen months were wasted before this bill was brought up. And it is not clear at all that the legislation can move in the Senate. Indeed, in an article just this morning in the Congress Daily, a spokesman for the chairman, the Republican chairman, of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee indicated that the committee has no plans to hold a hearing on this legislation before Congress adjourns or recesses for the election. Here is a consideration in addition regarding H.R. 2491, and I have read it. If it were to be made a law through passage in this Congress, I think it is likely that there would be lengthy litigation and therefore a further delay in meaningful reduction of trash exports to Michigan for years. So this bill says the EPA has 2 years, up to 2 years, and in the meanwhile, States could take action, but I think there is a real probability that there would be litigation in the meanwhile.…”