Porter Goss: “Tomorrow is Earth Day. We've spent the last 2 weeks here in a furious, sometimes acrimonious, effort to ram through a…”

“Tomorrow is Earth Day. We've spent the last 2 weeks here in a furious, sometimes acrimonious, effort to ram through a crime bill. Debate has centered on such issues as the death penalty, racial justice, how to stem the rise of juvenile crime, and other weighty topics. As we focus on crime and what ails our society, we tend to lose sight of elements of our everyday life that are vital to our health and wellbeing--things we too often take for granted the environment. Luckily, outside of this House people haven't forgotten about the environment--their year-round efforts to improve and preserve our planet--or their own little corner of it--benefit us all. In Florida, the health of the sensitive environment is especially important to our wonderful quality of life. The State's record of environmentally sound governance has received national recognition, including the appointment of Floridian Carol Browner to head up the Nation's lead environmental agency, the EPA. But, as the State of Florida knows, good environmental policy would be virtually meaningless without the efforts and involvement of the private sector and countless hardworking individuals.”