Ed Markey: “Mr. Speaker, in last year's appropriations bill the Republicans attacked the EPA and the Superfund Program, and they…”

“Mr. Speaker, in last year's appropriations bill the Republicans attacked the EPA and the Superfund Program, and they attempted to slash the Superfund Program by 25 percent. When President Clinton refused to go along because of our success in highlighting this issue, the President vetoed the bill. The Republicans, because of Superfund and other programs, shut the Government of the United States down twice because they wanted to see programs like Superfund gutted. The truth of the matter is that there were furloughed Superfund Program workers all over the country and delays in the cleanup of toxic waste sites all over our country. Now, in this bill the Republicans contend they are putting in $2.2 billion for Superfund. Sounds really great, but the truth is that this is really kind of a legislative sneak preview of coming attractions. But, like many Hollywood movie trailers, it is very deceptive, because while they are advertising that their bill is 'Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms,' the truth is that their actual bill is more like 'Nightmare on Elm Street,' because in reality the $862 million which they contend is being put in the bill is not going to be appropriated this year in this bill.”