Political Quotes

“I think the American public must be quite confused about what we are currently debating in this Chamber. The amendment I rise in strong support of strikes section 422 which prevents funds from being used to ``develop, adopt, implement, administer or enforce any change . . . pertaining to the definition of waters under the jurisdiction'' of the Clean Water Act (CWA). I would like to remind the other side that, thanks to the Clean Water Act, billions of pounds of pollution have been kept out of our rivers, and the number of waters that now meet clean water goals nationwide has actually doubled with direct benefits for drinking water, public health, recreation, and wildlife. This is especially true for my home State of Maryland that is within the six-State Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The Chesapeake Bay Watershed is fed by 110,000 miles of creeks, rivers, and streams; covers 64,000 square miles; includes over 11,500 miles of shorelines; contains 150 major rivers and streams; and is home to over 17 million people. And this watershed's land-to-water ratio is 14-1, the largest of any coastal water body in the world. Several of its tributaries, including the Anacostia, the Patuxent, Potomac, and Severn Rivers flow through the Fourth Congressional District. 70 percent of Marylanders get our drinking water from sources that rely on headwater or seasonal streams. Nationwide, 117 million people, or over a third of the total population, get our water from these waters.…”