Political Quotes

“Access to utilities is often a matter of life and death. Without access to electricity or water, people may find themselves unable to keep their families healthy, their homes heated or cooled during extreme weather, or unable to sustain critical medical equipment in their home. Utilities are not just a convenience, Mr. Speaker, but a fundamental human right that should be affordable and accessible to all. That is why Congresswoman Cori Bush, Congressman Jamaal Bowman, and I introduced a resolution recognizing the human rights to utilities, to affirm that access to water, sanitation, electricity, heating, cooling, public transit, and broadband are basic human rights. Utility access is especially critical for rural and low-income communities, like many in my congressional district, where many, again, are struggling to make ends meet and are on the front lines of the climate crisis. The greedy corporations that own and operate utilities could choose to help families, but instead they are forcing them through the dehumanizing process of having their power cut off and their water shut down. Instead, companies like DTE in my community prioritize stockholder returns and CEO pay, trapping many of our neighbors in a cycle of poverty while they continue to make enormous profits. Mr. Speaker, in the richest country on Earth, no family should be denied access to utilities, lack access to clean water, face energy burdens, and bear the brunt of corporate pollution.…”