Political Quotes

“I thank my friend. Madam Chairman, the House majority has bought yet another anti-EPA bill to the House floor. Last week, the House passed legislation to increase mercury and particulate pollution from cement factories, poisoning fetuses and increasing the incidence of diseases such as lung cancer and emphysema. This week, the House passed legislation to increase mercury and particulate pollution from industrial boilers. These follow some 125 other virulently anti-environmental bills, riders, and amendments that the majority has already tried to pass this year. H.R. 2273, the legislation on the floor today, is but the latest assault on the environment and public health. This bill would block the EPA from issuing science-based standards to manage the disposal of coal ash. Unfortunately, the majority rejected language, which had the support of a number of utilities, which would have protected EPA's authority to issue health-based standards under the Clean Water Act. If the majority had protected rather than curtailed this authority to issue regulations based on science, not politics, then I could support the legislation before us today. Mr. Waxman is offering an amendment which would protect the EPA's Clean Water Act authority. If that amendment passes, then perhaps most of us could vote for final passage of the bill. Such standards clearly are necessary, or impoundments such as the one in Kingston, Tennessee, would not be failing.…”