Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Waxman amendment and in opposition to this GOP bill. Mr. Chairman, all Americans should be concerned with the GOP push to roll back America's fundamental environmental protections and health protections. This GOP bill strikes at the heart of American values. We are not a smoggy, Third World country. This is the United States of America; and over the past decades since the passage of the Clean Air Act, businesses have flourished and the air and water has gotten cleaner. These are not mutually exclusive. That's why this GOP bill takes a step backward. It fundamentally weakens the Clean Air Act and grants unnecessary breaks to toxic air polluters. Now, Mr. Waxman's amendment is very important because it targets one of the most dangerous and toxic neurotoxins, that is, mercury. We know that babies born to women exposed to mercury during pregnancy can suffer from a range of developmental and neurological problems, including delays in speaking and difficulties learning. Children suffering from the chronic effects of mercury exposure may never reach their full potential. This clearly has a profound impact on the affected children and their families, but it also has a long-term societal impact. It was in 1990 when the Congress, in a bipartisan fashion, amended the Clean Air Act and targeted the particular, the specific, polluters coming from specific sources.…”