Environmental health and climate experts in Michigan have been warning that climate change, causing more extreme weather, more volatile water cycles, allows for an environment for water-borne bacteria, like legionella bacteria, to thrive.

Michigan again, sadly, is experiencing a surge in Legionnaire's Disease.

Thank you, Madam Chair, for holding this hearing, and I want to thank all of the witnesses for being here today for this really important conversation.

As the last few months have demonstrated, with extreme temperatures, parts of the country facing drought, wildfires, and then, as Congresswoman Stevens from Michigan, my colleague from Michigan, mentioned, serious flooding, the work of our…

I really appreciate you recognizing me, and I do appreciate the Chair holding this important hearing.

Just this week, the GAO issued a report that concluded the DoD will have to significantly increase spending to clean up current and former DoD installations that are contaminated with PFAS.

In Congress I have been working on this subject for a few years since it was brought to my attention. I co-chair a bipartisan task force, The congressional PFAS Task Force, along with Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.

I would only take an issue with the notion that what is being requested is intended to be a reflection of what we can do.

Our Task Force has about 60 members because they are hearing from their residents about PFAS contamination.

The community has organized itself. There is an organization called Need Our Water. They deserve an awful lot of credit for bringing this subject to the attention of policymakers.

One area of policy that you and I have both worked on over our years together in Congress has been supporting the older industrial cities in this country, particularly those affected by globalization, by changes in those communities due to…