Political Quotes

“My amendment would not allow any funds to enforce section 435 of this bill, which is another harmful policy rider that limits the ability of our environmental agencies to take action to improve public health and fight the root causes of climate change. This section blocks the EPA's ongoing efforts to regulate hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which is the wrong approach. HFCs are factory-made gases used in air conditioning and refrigeration and are up to 10,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide. This potency has led to HFCs being referred to as a superpollutant. Unless we act now, United States emissions are expected to double by 2020 and triple by 2030. While not as abundant as carbon dioxide, superpollutants, also known as short-lived climate pollutants--including HFCs, methane, and black carbon--have contributed up to 40 percent of observed global warming. By limiting the EPA's authority under the Clean Water Act to propose, finalize, or enforce any regulation or guidance regarding HFCs, we undercut their ability to protect public health and demonstrate American leadership in emission reductions. The EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy Program, or SNAP, requires us to evaluate substitutes for superpollutants like HFCs that are harming public health and our environment. Through SNAP, we can ensure a more smooth transition to safer alternatives for our country's industrial sector.…”