Political Quotes

“I rise to briefly honor a distinguished former Republican environmental and conservation leader. As my colleagues know, Russell Train passed away on September 17. Mr. Train was the first head of the Council on Environmental Quality under President Nixon and the second EPA Administrator, serving under both Presidents Nixon and Ford. He was the chairman emeritus of the World Wildlife Fund and helped found the organization in the 1960s. He founded the African Wildlife Leadership Foundation in 1961 and was president of the Conservation Foundation from 1965 to 1969. He was a shining example of the age when the political parties cooperated on environmental protection, and Republicans even sometimes led the way forward. He implemented and defended the Clean Air Act and helped protect the health and welfare of millions of Americans. In recent years, he specifically criticized the modern Republican party's rejection of health and science-based decisionmaking, especially as related to EPA's authority to address climate change and carbon pollution. In a 2010 interview, he stated that he had become a registered Independent. I hope that the Republican Party will soon return to the example of statesmanship and good governance set by Russell Train. Our Nation has enormous environmental challenges, like climate change, that must be addressed in a bipartisan fashion.…”