John Sarbanes: “The Federal Government needs to step up and take charge to expedite power restoration efforts.”

I hope that today's hearing is the first step in continuing that legacy of strong bipartisan support for the Chesapeake Bay in this Congress.

It's a national environmental treasure. It's a regional economic engine. It's been one of my top priorities since I've come to Congress.

Congress gave EPA this role more than 50 years ago under the Clean Air Act and reaffirmed that responsibility in 2005 under the Energy Policy Act.

We would like to thank Rep. Sarbanes for introducing this important piece of bipartisan legislation