Patrick Leahy: “while the Senate is using scarce floor time to debate probably the most anti-environmental judicial nominee this body…”

“while the Senate is using scarce floor time to debate probably the most anti-environmental judicial nominee this body has seen, it has blocked any attempts to strengthen environmental and public health protections. Sitting on deck are critical bills to help cut harmful air pollutants, combat climate change, clean up toxic waste sites and protect our natural resources and improve our nuclear security. In fact, the Republican leadership only begrudgingly conceded six hours of floor time for Senators McCain and Lieberman's Climate Stewardship Act after blocking its consideration during the energy debate. Although the scientific and economic evidence of the toll climate change is and will take on this country, the Senate leadership continues to bury its head in the sand. That is 6 hours total this Congress for the environment. No time to consider Senator Jeffords's Clean Power Act that would finally require power plants to reduce emissions of toxic air pollutants like mercury. No time to consider the Chemical Security Act that would help ensure chemical plants are prepared for terrorist attacks. No time for the Toxic Cleanup Polluter Pays Renewal Act to reinstate fees paid by oil and chemical companies to cleanup waste sites across the country. No time for the Nuclear Infrastructure Security Act to improve security at over 100 nuclear facilities around the country.”