Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today is Earth Day, and there are many issues, environmental challenges, that each of us could be discussing here on the Senate floor. I have chosen to speak on a bill that I am introducing today that is called the Comprehensive National Mercury Monitoring Act. I am pleased to be partnering, once again, with my colleague from Delaware, Senator Carper, who serves as the chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Our bipartisan bill would help ensure that we have accurate information about the extent of mercury pollution in our country. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin. It poses significant ecological and public health concerns, especially for children and pregnant women. Mercury exposure has gone down as U.S. mercury emissions have declined. However, the levels remain unacceptably high. It is estimated that nearly 200,000 children born in the United States have been exposed to levels of mercury in the womb that are high enough to impair their neurological development. This exposure can impose a lifelong disability. In addition, the societal costs of neurocognitive deficits associated with mercury exposure are estimated to be approximately $4.8 billion per year. In Maine, some of our lands and bodies of water face higher mercury pollution compared to the national average.…”