Hank Johnson: “I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, this body has never passed a law that denied States the ability to act before there…”

“I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, this body has never passed a law that denied States the ability to act before there is a Federal standard in place. What we are perpetrating today with this vote is a first. Instead of being preempted to act once an established EPA standard is in place, States are prevented from pursuing critical protections for their communities from dangerous chemicals the moment the EPA decides to review the chemical, not when the EPA has created a new regulation. {time} 1530 By allowing for this so-called pause preemption, we will create an almost 3-year limbo period in which a chemical under review is essentially unregulated by either State or Federal laws. Meanwhile, the public is subjected to potentially dangerous chemicals. This is unheard of in our existing consumer protection legal standards, and it will be to the detriment of the American people. However, I do commend the efforts of the Energy and Commerce Committee to take on this Herculean task of updating the existing regulatory regime and reaching a compromise package. However, I regret that this compromise comes at the expense of the rights of the States to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their citizens. We should not be preventing local governments from exerting their basic duty to take proactive steps that will protect our communities, our environment, and the public health.…”