Sheila Jackson Lee: “Let me mention the amendments that I have in en bloc No. 6. I will focus on a few of them. I have Nos. 157, 216, 220…”

“Let me mention the amendments that I have in en bloc No. 6. I will focus on a few of them. I have Nos. 157, 216, 220, 219, 218, 217, amendments that I think will make the legislation better but also help the American people and, certainly, focus on issues that are impacting my district. But these are universal matters that should be addressed. My amendment increases and decreases funding for the Environmental Programs and Management by $5 million to highlight the need to support culturally competent Federal, State, and local public health and environmental protection efforts to address cancer clusters impacting overburdened communities in the Gulf Coast region. That includes Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens, among others, in the northeast part of Houston which have suffered because of creosote contamination, Superfunds, railroads that have contaminated the soil. They have seen the seismic increase of cancer among families. It is going through generations. I have met these families, and they have had mothers, fathers, children, grandchildren have cancer and die of cancer. This is an important legislative amendment for me. Amendment No. 216, very quickly, deals with the reckless utilization of Federal dollars by the Texas Department of Transportation. We have, by our community, filed 106 complaints against them.…”