On the recordFebruary 5, 2014
I would like to thank the gentlelady from the great State of Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler) for the privilege of being able to address one of the greatest issues facing our Nation today--the unilateral imposition of regulations coming out of an administrative agency known as the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the strangulating effects those regulations have on business development and on our economy. Mr. Speaker, my home State, the great State of Florida, is fortunate enough to play host to a myriad of beautiful animals, landscapes, waterways, and beaches, and I believe that we all play a role in being good stewards of our natural resources. We all want clean water. We all want clean air. As Mr. Lankford was talking about his child's having asthma, I have asthma, and I know the importance of this. So, yes, we do want a clean environment. Many rural districts like mine often have unique needs, whether it is the farmer farming to put food on his table in order to keep his family fed or to feed a Nation or to keep the lights on at the storefront or bringing jobs back to our districts. Through projects like the dredging of the St. Johns waterway, which is a crucial infrastructure project in our district, it would create thousands of jobs, and yet we have to deal with EPA regulations. Congress must ensure that efficient and effective policies are being implemented that both boost the economy and uphold environmentally friendly industry standards.…





