Diana DeGette

While anti-abortion ideology is fueling the administration's action, that motivation has no bearing on the Title X program.

Yet, this patient-centered care now faces an imminent threat.

Today, this subcommittee is holding the first congressional hearing in nearly 25 years on the Title X Family Planning Program.

I am grateful for the opportunity to thank Chairwoman Velazquez in person for her co-sponsorship of this legislation.

This bipartisan legislation, introduced by Reps Diana DeGette and John Shimkus, would allow physical therapists to participate in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment program.

I hope that all of you can answer them promptly, and not to editorialize, but in a fashion much more prompt than the current EPA is responding to this committee's questions.

I hope the administration was watching, because all of you were really important voices, and I want to thank you.

I think it's incumbent on the administration to commit to the mission of the Environmental Protection Agency, the importance of it--to recommit and restate the importance of it and the importance of science as being the underpinning of the…

This is an important and timely moment, and it is particularly noteworthy to have a hearing in the House with four former EPA Administrators testifying together on the mission of the Agency.

Now is the time for a strong and renewed EPA that will protect American communities from the many environmental threats of our time.

I am particularly pleased to welcome our four former EPA Administrators back to the Energy and Commerce Committee this morning.

In my home state of Colorado... we are seeing the economy shift more and more to recreation and the outdoors.

OK. And the values, what determines what the values are?

But 3 weeks ago, the Administration said in front of the Senate that it was going to go ahead and do oil and gas leasing.

And what are the criteria in the land use planning process?

But how do you do that? Do you assume that it is going to be appropriate for oil and gas, and then look at it?

Sir, excuse me. You are not answering my question.

Sometimes we feel that this Administration, their default view is to issue oil and gas leases, and then to look at the appropriateness later.

Anything that your side could do to help us, because it really does help complete the record of these hearings.

I think it is important for the Members to have the opportunity to talk to the EPA and the decisionmaking around this.

It is Congress'--it's our responsibility, both sides of the aisle, to have investigation oversight.

I can tell you these standards and the overall lax of enforcement of coal ash, one of the biggest producers, is affecting my district and my family's native island of Puerto Rico.

The administration's proposal, is in fact, injecting more uncertainty at a time when we had standards working that were better protection for the public.

It is dumbfounding why we would be rolling back standards to protect children and the general public from mercury and air toxic poisoning when industry isn't even asking for it.

It's, quote, "contradicting the relevant guidance and decades of practice by both political parties" and results in, quote, "a biased and misleading estimate" of cost and benefit.