Sherwood Boehlert: “I rise in support of the rule and in support of the measure. This culminates 6 years of very hard work dating back to…”

“I rise in support of the rule and in support of the measure. This culminates 6 years of very hard work dating back to 1988 when on a bipartisan basis then Congressman Jim Florio of New Jersey and this Member introduced legislation to elevate EPA to Cabinet-level status. What does this bill do? Here are some of the major features: the development of a strategic business plan and performance measurement system to improve and make more efficient Department programs and the use of resources; the appointment of a chief information officer to collect needed information and establish cost effectiveness; it improves public access to environmental information to assist businesses and enhance the public awareness; it creates the Bureau of Environmental Statistics to improve the analysis of environmental conditions and trends in order to better determine the effectiveness of environmental policies and programs; it establishes an Office of Environmental Justice to improve coordination of existing programs in order to provide environmental justice for all people; and it strengthens scientific integrity of the Department to ensure that the scientific information prepared by the Department is creditable and unbiased. Mr. Speaker, the Republican Heritage for the Environment dates back to President Teddy Roosevelt, and I would remind my colleagues that it was a Republican President, Richard Nixon, under whose leadership the Environmental Protection Agency was created.”