Political Quotes

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This amendment simply adds the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, NESHAP or Cement MACT, to the covered rules within H.R. 2401. Reasonable efforts to limit the emissions of hazardous pollutants by cement manufacturing facilities are most certainly appropriate, but EPA has failed to craft effective and efficient regulations. These NESHAP standards will be very, very difficult and extremely costly for domestic cement manufacturers to meet, severely jeopardizing the ability of an essential American basic industry to remain competitive with foreign importers. Including NESHAP and H.R. 2401 will allow the loss of American jobs and the weakening of domestic manufacturers' global competitiveness to become key considerations during the completion of the rulemaking process. We must understand the impacts of these rules on jobs and our manufacturing competitiveness. Here now are some simple, basic facts about the American cement industry, and I represent the largest cement- producing district in America. I'm cochair of the Cement Caucus along with cosponsor Mike Ross of Arkansas. This industry employs about 13,000 Americans. Four thousand of those jobs have been lost since 2008. There are 97 cement plants in America producing today, and there's a presence in nearly every State as well, I might add. Cement is an absolutely essential basic industry in American manufacturing.…”