Political Quotes

“I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette). Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the en bloc amendment and to offer my environmental justice amendment to H.R. 3055. This amendment would require that the EPA identify 100 communities across the country that are suffering from especially egregious violations of environmental law and clean them up. It would require the EPA to study what happens when communities experience multiple sources of pollution and then come up with better ways to protect them going forward. The amendment has one simple goal, to ensure that every American has clean air to breath, safe water to drink, and access to food that is free of toxins. While the goal may sound simple, the harsh reality is that we as a nation have been failing to provide these staples of life to too many communities for far too long. When we fail to protect our environment, it is often the poorest among us who suffer the most. When we allow pipes to become contaminated or when we allow companies to spew more toxins into the air, it is usually lower income communities and communities of color that get hurt the most. This amendment is for them. These communities include communities like Elyria Swansea and neighboring Globeville which are neighborhoods in the northern part of my district.…”