Political Quotes

“Today really does mark a milestone, a milestone for our majority, a milestone for this Congress, and a milestone for the American people, as we make great strides to update our Nation's chemical safety laws. Folks said it could not be done, especially with Republicans in Congress and a Democratic President. This was a multiyear effort that dates back to at least the last Congress. But we took the time, and we did the hard work. We put in countless hours of discussions and negotiations virtually every weekend, and it paid off. This legislation will have monumental impacts for commerce, the environment, and public health. In 1976, under the leadership of Michigan's great President Jerry Ford, TSCA was a novel approach to regulating interstate commercial activity to address unreasonable risks presented by a chemical. It was not meant to examine every piece of chemical manufacturing and use, but, rather, to provide a backstop of protection when suspicions about dangerous chemicals were not being addressed. In the nearly 40 years since TSCA's enactment, there have been persistent concerns about the pace of the EPA's work on chemicals, the ability of the Agency to meaningfully use its existing authority, and whether the statute prevents certain regulatory efforts. Over the last 3 years, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has conducted nine hearings, all on the aspects of TSCA. We learned that there is public confusion about chemical-specific safety claims.…”