Kathy Castor: “I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the Republican's ``Smoggy Skies Act''…”

“I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the Republican's ``Smoggy Skies Act'' that will gut America's landmark Clean Air Act. Since Congress passed the Clean Air Act almost 50 years ago, American progress on clean air has gone hand in hand with growth in jobs and businesses. But that is at risk under this bill today because polluters want to take shortcuts and shift the costs to hardworking American families and other businesses. Republicans are helping them get this done through this ``Smoggy Skies Act.'' Coming from the State of Florida, I understand very well how air pollution hurts jobs and economic growth. Americans everywhere, regardless of their ZIP Code, deserve an EPA and a Congress working to clean up air pollution, not boost polluter profits at our expense. In Florida, we probably would not be the tourist mecca that we are without the Clean Air Act. When you look across the globe at other countries and people are deciding, ``Where am I going to take my vacation? Where am I going to take my trip?'' they are very discerning about countries that do not have the same kind of consumer protections. I have seen, since the time I was a little girl, vast improvement in air quality back home in the Tampa Bay area, to the point of it used to be, in the early morning, you would walk outside and you could smell and taste it. Now we have very few days of smog and pollution.…”