Political Quotes

“Pipeline safety is especially personal for me. Back in 2010, we experienced a bad spill just outside of my district in southwest Michigan that impacted the Kalamazoo River. Ask anyone who was directly affected. Seeing the aftermath firsthand smacks the senses and leaves a lasting impression. While a spill can happen in an instant, the damage can take decades and, in fact, more than $1 billion to fix. Underscoring the need for strong safety laws is what this bill does. Congress asked the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration--that is PHMSA for short--to develop and enforce pipeline safety regulations. PHMSA doesn't do the job by itself. It relies heavily on partnerships with States and local governments to inspect the pipelines and, yes, to enforce the law; but the reality is that more can be done to prevent accidents from occurring and to mitigate spills when the unthinkable happens. {time} 1730 The amendment to the Senate bill before us today, this bill, incorporates texts from two House bills, which were both approved unanimously in committee: H.R. 5050, the Pipeline Safety Act, which passed the Committee on Energy and Commerce; and H.R. 4937, the PIPES Act of 2016, which passed the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.…”