Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, in recent years, Democrats have made historic investments in environmental justice, and the EPA has already put those dollars to good use. It is unfortunate that my colleagues across the aisle continue to attack good government programs. Environmental justice ensures that all Americans receive the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, which is particularly important in rural communities, many of which are in the very districts of my colleagues across the aisle and myself. Rural communities and low-income communities have long been targeted by corporations, regulatory agencies, and local planning and zoning boards when siting polluting facilities. This includes things like landfills, waste transfer stations, incinerators, garbage dumps, diesel bus and truck garages, auto body shops, smokestack industries, industrial hog and chicken processors, oil refineries, chemical manufacturers, and radioactive waste storage areas. Because of this, these communities typically have lower property values, higher health disparities, and shorter lifespans. Why would my colleagues try to defund any effort to improve the lives of people in rural and low-income communities? It is yet another attempt to implement an extreme agenda, to attack minority groups at all costs, and to return the United States to a time when environmental discrimination was the norm. Mr.…”