Political Quotes

“In September, I was named to the National Defense Authorization Act conference committee, which is tasked with reconciling differences between the House and Senate-passed defense authorization bills. In this role, I believe I would have the chance to advocate for provisions for PFAS contamination and its devastating effects, which include thyroid disease, autoimmune disorders, and cancer. The contaminant has wreaked havoc in my district, from Hoosick Falls to Petersburgh. Unfortunately, leaders in both parties ultimately opted to hijack negotiations at the eleventh hour behind closed doors and in a disturbingly undemocratic fashion. In the end, nearly every PFAS provision was stripped from the agreement. While I am pleased that my bipartisan legislation requiring PFAS chemicals to be listed on the EPA's Toxic Release Inventory was ultimately included, I am, nonetheless, deeply frustrated by an incredibly flawed process completely void of transparency. For this reason, I decided not to sign the final conference report. I expected more from this process, and I am quite certain the American people expect more from this body. ____________________”