Political Quotes

“This amendment seeks to defund environmental justice efforts at the Department of Homeland Security. As we continue to face unprecedented climate events, including extreme heat, poor air quality, flooding, and natural disasters of all types, vulnerable Americans have been struggling to adapt. It is no secret that minority communities have been disproportionately impacted. I will remind my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that many of the communities that would benefit from environmental justice efforts exist in their districts, too. They exist all over the country, and we need a whole-of-government approach to environmental justice to meet their needs. For too long, minority and low-income populations have endured disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects from various local, State, and Federal governmental policies. Environmental justice strategies are a responsible step toward righting those wrongs. DHS' implementation of environmental justice efforts does not prevent it from securing the border, responding to disasters, or defending our critical infrastructure. On the contrary, these efforts strengthen DHS' outcomes by ensuring that the Department considers the impact on human health and the environment of historically marginalized and low-income populations as it executes its mission.…”