The Public Record
Paul David Tonko is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for New York's 20th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Tonko has focused on various issues including healthcare, renewable energy, and infrastructure. He has been an advocate for policies aimed at addressing climate change and improving public health. Tonko previously served in the New York State Assembly from 1983 to 2007, where he held the position of Assembly Majority Leader from 2005 to 2007.
Ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is inhumane and unAmerican. Whatever your politics on immigration, America's DREAMers did not choose their birthplace or their path early in life. They are innocents, and they have…
EPA has, therefore, an important role to play in disaster response and recovery, ensuring the environmental monitoring and remediation needed to protect public health.
To repeat what my colleague just said, I will say that we want to work with the American public. We have said over and over again that it is about affordability, accessibility, quality of care. Share with us the improvements that you think…
I thank the gentleman from California for yielding, and, Representative Garamendi, I am so honored to associate my comments with those of yours, to connect with you in this effort to make certain that we stop this foolishness coming from…
I thank the gentleman from California for yielding. Certainly I understand the anger, Representative Garamendi, and I know I am not alone. I know all of my colleagues are hearing the outbursts in our given districts about the foolishness…
I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding. I rise in opposition to H.R. 2910, the Promoting Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act. This bill is a solution in search of a problem. We heard from FERC that…
The third document I include in the Record is a letter signed by 15 medical and public health organizations, again, opposing the bill. July 17, 2017. Dear Representative: Clean air is fundamental for good health, and the Clean Air Act…
Two points on the review and the standards. Certainly not every review would require a change in standards, and I think that needs to be made clear here. When we talk about the difficulty of having to respond or achieve the standards that…
Finally, Mr. Chairman, I include a letter signed by 121 environmental and other groups opposing the bill. March 21, 2017. Dear Senator/Representative, on behalf of our millions of members, the undersigned 121 organizations urge you to…
I demand a recorded vote. A recorded vote was ordered. The SPEAKER pro tempore. This is a 5-minute vote. The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 229, noes 199, not voting 5, as follows: [Roll No. 391] AYES--229…
The second document I include in the Record is a letter from the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, again, opposing the bill. Office of the Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental…
I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Strike subsection (b) of section 3 (relating to consideration of technological feasibility) and make such…
As I earlier stated, the State of Arizona has over 660,000 residents with asthma, including 175,000 children; and I just question putting their health at risk with this bill that moves us in the wrong direction. Mr. Chairman, I include in…
We have just heard from two colleagues from Texas, and I want to remind all of my colleagues, our colleagues, that the State of Texas has over 1.5 million residents with asthma, including some 430,000 children. Weakening vital protections…
Having heard from my friend and colleague from West Virginia, I want to remind my colleagues that the State of West Virginia has 100,000 residents with asthma, including over 18,000 children. So it is weakening vital protections in the…
My amendment strikes subsection (b) of section 3, which would allow the EPA to consider technological feasibility when determining what level of pollution is safe. Health-based standards are the cornerstone of the Clean Air Act…
I would just suggest that, when we move the timeframe for accomplishment of our progress by 8 years out into the future, we are stalling progress; and when we tamper with a review every 5 years and make it 10, we are denying progress. Mr…
Having just heard from the gentleman from Arizona, I want to remind my colleagues that the State of Arizona has over 660,000 residents with asthma, including some 175,000 children. Weakening vital protections in the Clean Air Act would put…
I think the insertion of discretion of the Administrator at the EPA as to the technological and economical availability, achievable qualities being inserted into this bill tells me--my interpretation is that the Administrator may not--the…
I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York will be postponed. Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Beyer The Acting CHAIR. It is now…
The only way we are going to meet our energy challenges is through investments in research and development.
I am all for finding solutions to rising drug costs. But this proposed rule does nothing to address that.
The Senate is introducing yet another version of TrumpCare today. I rise to express my grave concern with the most harmful aspects of this mean and merciless bill. TrumpCare still includes billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, a…
Simply put, passing TrumpCare would be the single biggest step backward in providing treatment for substance use and mental health services in our Nation's history.
This mean, and might I say very mean, bill will rip hope away from people in communities across my district who depend on coverage from the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion to help them recover from the scourge of opioid…
Politicians like Paul Tonko
