During a House Appropriations Committee markup meeting before the Congressional recess, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) spoke about cuts to environmental justice initiatives in the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill.
00:00The gentlelady from New Jersey, Ms. Watson-Coleman, is recognized for an amendment.
00:10Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
00:12Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk, and I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the amendment.
00:18The reading of the amendment is dispensed with without objection, and the gentlelady is recognized for remarks on her amendment.
00:26Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
00:27My amendment would restore funding for environmental justice initiatives under the EPA, which the bill under consideration today completely eliminates.
00:38The decision to zero out this funding is a direct and deliberate act of racism by this administration.
00:46There are racial disparities in pollution.
00:48There are racial disparities in water quality.
00:51There are racial disparities in pollution-linked illnesses.
00:54And pretending otherwise, or ignoring it, will not change this reality.
01:00Funding environmental justice initiatives make sure that this reality is recognized as the EPA carries out its work.
01:08It is funding that was allocated in response to a real problem.
01:13A study from Harvard found that communities with larger Black and Hispanic populations are much more likely to have so-called forever chemicals in their drinking water due to the common practice of building pollution-generating infrastructure near these neighborhoods.
01:42Ignoring these disparities will not make them go away.
01:46Pretending that racial inequality does not exist in pollution rates will not stop our children from getting sick and even dying.
01:56It won't make our drinking water cleaner.
01:58It won't make our air quality better.
02:01It will only force the victims of this injustice to suffer greater.
02:06The EPA has a responsibility to protect the environment for all Americans, not just wealthy or white communities.
02:15My amendment restores funding for environmental justice initiatives so that one's zip code does not determine whether or not one has access to clean water to drink and fresh air to breathe.
02:28I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment and I thank you and I yield back.
02:35Thank you, gentlelady.
02:36The gentleman from Idaho, Mr. Simpson, is recognized to address the amendment.
02:40Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
02:41I rise in opposition to this amendment.
02:43First, this amendment does not have an offset and would exceed our allocation.
02:47Now, kind of important to a lot of the things that have been proposed don't have an offset.
02:53If they were really that important to the sponsor of the amendment, wouldn't they try and find an offset?
02:57I mean, they have to make choices.
02:59We've had to make choices between programs that we thought were more important than other programs in this bill.
03:04That's what you do.
03:05That's what a budgeting is, is making choices.
03:09So, this would exceed, because it doesn't have an offset, would exceed our 302B and consequently this bill wouldn't come to the floor.
03:18Second, I think we can all agree that everyone deserves access to clean air and clean water.
03:22This bill provides funding for programs that benefit the health and safety of all individuals across the country.
03:28From the EPA's geographic programs to water and wastewater infrastructure programs to funding directly to states to implement permitting programs,
03:35this bill is intended to provide funding to any area that has an environmental issue and needs additional resources.
03:42I look forward to working with my colleagues on this, but I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment and I yield back.
03:47Thank you, Mr. Chair, for yielding the time and thank you to the gentlewoman from New Jersey for this amendment.
04:01This bill does provide no funding for environmental justice programs at the EPA.
04:06The EPA shuttered the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights and put all the employees on administrative leave.
04:14Most of them will eventually be fired.
04:17In my opinion, this administration does not understand what environmental justice even is.
04:22So, it has arbitrarily stopped working on environmental issues with the tribes, with low-income and rural populations,
04:29communities that have disproportionately been impacted by air and water pollution.
04:34Just last week, President Trump signed proclamations claiming to exempt some of the largest industrial polluters in the U.S.
04:42from protective health and environmental standards.
04:45These are polluters in places like Louisiana's Cancer Alley.
04:50These are historically disadvantaged communities that will continue to suffer harm because this administration thinks environmental justice is a bad word.
04:59The EPA administrator claims to want clean air, clean water, and clean land for all of America.
05:06But if you are a marginalized community, now that they have shuttered the environmental justice programs, you will continue to be marginalized.
05:14I hope my colleagues will support this amendment and I yield back the balance of my time.
05:18Are there other members wishing to address the amendment?
05:26Seeing none, the gentle lady is recognized for one minute to close.
05:30Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
05:36First of all, let me say that it's an insult to even suggest that the reason we shouldn't consider this bill
05:44because it exceeds the 302B funds because this is an issue that should have been dealt with at the time that this whole bill was created.
05:58To deny people equal opportunity to clean air and good drinking water because of their race or ethnicity should be against the law.
06:11It is against the law.
06:12And it speaks highly to the, the omission here speaks highly to the agenda of what I consider to be the most racist administration I've encountered in my life.
06:26It just hurts me to my heart that my colleagues support that racism.
06:32I yield back.
06:35Thank you, gentle lady.
06:36The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from New Jersey.
06:41All those in favor say aye.
06:42Aye.
06:43All those opposed say no.
06:45No.
06:46Opinion of the chair, the no's have it.
06:49Roll call has been requested.
06:51Sufficient number of hands have been raised.
06:53Clerk will call the roll.
06:54Yes.
06:56What, oh, what?
07:01Can we have one more hand raised?
07:05Thank you very much.
07:06Appreciate it.
07:09So clerk will call the roll.
07:11Mr. Adderholt.
07:12Mr. Adderholt, no.
07:13Mr. Aguilar.
07:15Mr. Alford.
07:16Mr. Alford, no.
07:18Mr. Amaday.
07:18Mrs. Bice.
07:21Mrs. Bice, no.
07:23Mr. Bishop.
07:25Mr. Calvert.
07:26Mr. Calvert, no.
07:28Mr. Carter.
07:29Mr. Carter, no.
07:30Mr. Case.
07:31Aye.
07:31Mr. Case, aye.
07:33Mr. Siskimani.
07:35Mr. Kline.
07:37Mr. Kline, no.
07:38Mr. Cloud.
07:39No.
07:39Mr. Cloud, no.
07:41Mr. Clyburn.
07:42Aye.
07:42Mr. Clyburn, aye.
07:44Mr. Clyde.
07:45Second.
07:45Mr. Clyde, no.
07:46Mr. Cole.
07:49Mr. Cole.
07:51No.
07:52Mr. Cole, no.
07:53Mr. Cuellar.
07:54Mr. Cuellar, aye.
07:56Miss Dean.
07:57Miss Dean, aye.
07:58Miss DeLauro.
08:00Mr. Diaz-Balart.
08:01No.
08:01Mr. Diaz-Balart, no.
08:03Mr. Edwards.
08:04No.
08:04Mr. Edwards, no.
08:06Mr. Elzey.
08:08Mr. Elzey, no.
08:10Miss Escobar.
08:11Miss Escobar, aye.
08:12Mr. Espayat.
08:13Mr. Espayat, aye.
08:15Mr. Fleischman.
08:16Mr. Fleischman, no.
08:17Miss Frankel.
08:18Miss Frankel, aye.
08:20Mr. Franklin.
08:23Mr. Franklin, no.
08:24Mr. Gonzalez.
08:25Mr. Gonzalez, no.
08:27Mr. Guest.
08:28Mr. Guest, no.
08:29Mr. Harder.
08:30Aye.
08:31Mr. Harder, aye.
08:32Dr. Harris.
08:33Dr. Harris, no.
08:34Mrs. Hinson.
08:36Mrs. Hinson, no.
08:37Mr. Hoyer.
08:38Yes.
08:38Mr. Hoyer, aye.
08:39Mr. Ivey. Mr. Ivey. Aye. Mr. Joyce.
08:45Ms. Captor. Yes. Ms. Captor. Aye. Mr. Lelota.
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