Political Quotes

“Today we indeed are considering the Beaches Environmental Assessment bill, and it is a bipartisan bill that was reported by our committee, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, by unanimous vote. Indeed, this is legislation that is most appropriate on this Earth Day. I would like to focus on a couple of specific points. The first is to note and emphasize, this is not a regulatory bill. It gives EPA no new regulatory authorities. After analyzing the bill, the Congressional Budget Office concluded that it contains no intergovernmental or private sector mandates as defined in the unfunded mandates act, and it would impose no costs to State, local or tribal governments. I also wish to allay some concerns expressed by some of the States. The grant program established by this bill does not provide EPA with an opportunity to micromanage State monitoring programs if a State chooses to seek Federal assistance.”