Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 2021, a bill that curtails the EPA's authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate pollution from offshore oil drilling and to limit the public's participation in decisions that directly affect our health. My amendment strikes the text which strips the ability of the Environmental Appeals Board to remand or deny the issuance of clean air permits for offshore energy exploration and extraction. Quite simply, this amendment allows the EAB to operate as it does today, saving taxpayer dollars and keeping unnecessary litigation out of the courts and in a place where unbiased and apolitical judges can make sound decisions with input from local constituencies who are most affected. It's worth noting that the EAB was established under George H.W. Bush, created in recognition of increasing levels of appeals from permit decisions and civil penalty decisions. Further, three of the four sitting judges were appointed by Republican administrations. The judges who sit on the EAB are not political appointees. They are critical EPA officials whose terms do not end at the end of an administration. The board takes approximately 5 months on the average from the time a petition is filed to receive and review briefs, hold oral arguments, and render a comprehensive written decision in a prevention of significant deterioration air permit case. Federal court review would likely take at least three or four times as long.…”