Let Your Voice Be Heard
We are no longer democrats, republicans, or independents, we are Americans! During these trying times it is about making sure our country stands true to our constitution! Take notice, educate yourself and let your voice be heard because things are changing.
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Companion Bills Introduced to Protect Drinking Water from Natural Gas Fracking
American Public Deserves to Know Chemicals Used Near Their Water Sources
WASHINGTON – Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) joined U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), and Jared Polis (D-CO) today to introduce companion Senate and House bills, the FRAC ACT – Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, amending the Safe Drinking Water Act. The legislation would repeal the exemption provided for the oil and gas industry and would require them to disclose the chemicals they use in their hydraulic fracturing processes. Currently, the oil and gas industry is the only industry granted an exemption from complying with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
“Drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale across much of Pennsylvania is part of our future,” said Senator Casey. “I believe that we have an obligation to develop that natural gas responsibly to safeguard the drinking water wells used by 3 million Pennsylvanians. We already have private wells contaminated by gas and fluids used in hydraulic fracturing. We need to make sure that this doesn’t become a state-wide problem over the next few decades as we extract natural gas.”
“When it comes to protecting the public’s health, it’s not unreasonable to require these companies to disclose the chemicals they are using in our communities – especially near our water sources,” said U.S. Rep. DeGette, Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. “Our bill simply closes an unconscionable Bush-Cheney loophole by requiring the oil and gas industry to follow the same rules as everyone else.”
“It’s time to fix an unfortunate chapter in the Bush administration’s energy policy and close the ‘Halliburton loophole’ that has enabled energy companies to pump enormous amounts of toxins, such as benzene and toluene, into the ground that then jeopardize the quality of our drinking water,” U.S. Rep. Hinchey, Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment and Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, said. “Our legislation says everyone deserves to have safe drinking water by ensuring that hydraulic fracturing is subject to the protections afforded by the Safe Drinking Water Act. The bill also lifts the veil of secrecy currently shrouding this industry practice.”
“Families, communities, and local governments are upset that the safety of their water has been compromised by a special interest exemption, and we join them in that frustration,” said U.S. Rep. Polis. “It is irresponsible to stand by while innocent people are getting sick because of an industry exemption that Dick Cheney snuck in to our nation’s energy policy. Many new sources of energy, including natural gas, will play an important role in our nation’s transition to cleaner fuels, but we must make sure this isn’t at the expense of public health. The problem is not natural gas or even hydraulic fracturing itself. The problem is that dangerous chemicals are being injected into the earth, polluting our water sources, without any oversight whatsoever.”
Hydraulic fracturing – also known as “fracking”, which is used in almost all oil and gas wells, is a process whereby fluids are injected at high pressure into underground rock formations to blast them open and increase the flow of fossil fuels. This injection of unknown and potentially toxic chemicals often occurs near drinking water wells. Troubling incidents have occurred around the country where people became ill after fracking operations began in their communities. Some chemicals that are known to have been used in fracking include diesel fuel, benzene, industrial solvents, and other carcinogens and endocrine disrupters.
During the 110th Congress, U.S. Reps. DeGette and Hinchey introduced similar legislation in the House.
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Food Safety Legislation Moves Forward
DeGette’s Mandatory Recall Authority and Traceability Included in Comprehensive Food Safety BillWASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, offered the following remarks at the full committee mark-up of the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009. U.S. Rep. DeGette is an original cosponsor of the legislation along with Chairman Henry Waxman, Chairman Emeritus John Dingell, U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Bart Stupak, and Betty Sutton.The Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 incorporates U.S. Rep. DeGette’s two major food safety priorities, mandatory recall authority and traceability, which she has introduced every Congress since 2002. The legislation was approved by the committee by unanimous voice vote. The measure will now move to the full House Floor for its consideration.
U.S. Rep. DeGette’s remarks as prepared for delivery:
“I’m glad to hear that my colleague from Oregon mentioned the Hurley Family, because as he will recall, at the end of the last Oversight Investigations hearing we had this spring, the last of a series that lasted a number of years, I told Peter Hurley, Jacob’s dad, that we would make a commitment to him and his family, that we would pass comprehensive food safety legislation this year – and we are. This is the way legislation should go, because we’re doing it on a bipartisan basis; we have worked together; we have explored the issues; and everyone has pulled together to make this happen.
“It almost looks easy, but everybody, particularly on the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee, Mr. Stupak and everybody else, will attest that it was difficult, because when we started this effort seven years ago, we had a food safety system in disarray and it had been in disarray for many years and it continued in disarray.
“Story after story, recall after recall, and in those days, it was difficult for us to even convince people that we needed mandatory recall authority for the FDA, much less traceability and some of the other components that are here in this comprehensive bill today. And so it really has been an extraordinary team effort, and that team effort has been directed at one goal: protecting the safety and health of our constituents.
“We hope this bill today will give the resources and the powers to the FDA to be able to protect that health and safety and if there are problems with our food system, to make sure we can address those problems quickly. That is why I am particularly pleased that the Chairman has worked with me and others to include mandatory recall authority by the FDA in the bill. We hope that we’ll be able to catch contamination and avoid contamination before it happens, but if there is contaminated food found, we’ll be able to have recall authority.
“And secondly, I’m so delighted that the FDA will be implementing traceability systems for the entire food agency. We saw this last year with the tomato and then jalapeño recall where we never really could figure out what was wrong with the salsa, but what we did know was that people across the country were being sickened, and what we also knew was that the entire tomato industry was devastated for that year. So traceability is going to help us identify quickly, and remove the foods in a targeted way, that are causing sickness.
“I just want to say one last thing: I have a staff member to thank who’s here today, Steve Plevniak. Steve is my Food Safety maven on my staff. He’s been with me for seven years, just about as long as we’ve been studying these issues. And he’s leaving us to go elsewhere, so this is a fine end to his congressional career and I just really want to thank Steve and all the staff of the entire committee who have worked so hard on this legislation.”
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Work of Art a Boost for Colorado
Members of the Colorado Delegation Request Interior Department Make Project PriorityWASHINGTON – Members of the Colorado Delegation sent a letter today to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar expressing their support of Over The River, the temporary work of art that internationally renowned artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude have proposed to exhibit in Colorado. They requested that the Department make this project a priority and that the Bureau of Land Management give a fair, full and expeditious environmental review of the artists’ application. Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet were joined by U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette, John Salazar, Ed Perlmutter, Betsey Markey, Jared Polis, and Mike Coffman in sending the letter.
This project involves suspending 5.9 miles of silvery fabric high above a 40-mile stretch of the Arkansas River between Cañon City and Salida. It would be exhibited for two weeks, hopefully during the summer of 2012.
The Delegation Members wrote:
“We believe that Over The River has the potential to be of great benefit to the state of Colorado, both culturally and economically. Estimates by independent researchers have projected that nearly $200 million in additional spending could flow into the Colorado economy as a result of this project. Furthermore, Over The River will leave Colorado with a lasting artistic legacy and will help enhance our state’s growing reputation as a place of cultural excellence. Even more impressive is the fact that Colorado will reap these benefits without public subsidy or taxpayer support, as the estimated $50 million cost of Over The River will be entirely funded by the artists.”
“We greatly thank U.S. Rep. DeGette and the Members of the Colorado Delegation for their support of our temporary work of art, Over The River. The benefits of this visual expression of joy and beauty will be appreciated by all Coloradans and everyone who visit the state,” said Christo and Jeanne-Claude.
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DeGette Stresses Pediatric Care with Secretary Sebelius at Health Hearing
Secretary Confident Obama Administration Will Fulfill Bill’s Mandate and Develop Pediatric Quality Measures
WASHINGTON – During a Energy and Commerce Committee legislative hearing with Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Department of Health and Human Services, on the comprehensive health care reform discussion draft, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, today addressed health care quality, the unique needs of children, and the need for a robust health care workforce. This was the second day of three days of scheduled hearings by the Energy and Commerce Committee on the health care reform discussion draft.“The discussion draft incorporates many components of the National Health Care Quality Act, which I introduced with Senators Rockefeller and Whitehouse. It would strengthen the national health care quality infrastructure, in order to identify and track key health indicators as well as to develop and implement new science across the states. The draft bill also contains a provision that requires the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to work with the Secretary to ‘develop quality measures for the delivery of health care services in the United States.’ I believe this is of the utmost importance.
“However, I am concerned about the implications for pediatric health care quality measures because even though the bill requires that measures be designed ‘to assess delivery of health care services to individuals regardless of age,’ this section is funded with Medicare dollars. Under the previous Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services determined that Medicare funding could not be used for pediatric measures.”
Secretary Sebelius responded to U.S. Rep. DeGette’s questioning by indicating that Medicare can be a leader in improving the quality of care for all Americans, and children fall under this umbrella. She was also confident that the Obama Administration will be able to move forward with fulfilling the bill’s mandate and develop pediatric quality measures.
Please click here to view the exchange between U.S. Rep. DeGette and Secretary Sebelius.
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Food Safety Legislation Needed Amidst Another Beef Recall
DeGette Calls on Congress to Pass Comprehensive Food Safety LegislationWASHINGTON – As the nation braces for yet another recall of beef due to E. coli contamination, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, today called on the U.S. Congress to pass sweeping food safety legislation aimed at protecting consumers. Last week, the Energy and Commerce Committee approved The Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 by unanimous vote. The House is expected to take up the legislation soon. The Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 incorporates U.S. Rep. DeGette’s two major food safety priorities, mandatory recall authority and traceability, which she has introduced every Congress since 2002.
“We must give our food safety agencies the resources they need to protect the U.S. consumer,” said DeGette. “This comprehensive legislation institutes preventative measures such as food safety plans, increased inspections, and better enforcement. Also, implementing mandatory recall and traceability would help get contaminated food off our store shelves more quickly in the event of an emergency. As evidenced by today’s beef recall, we cannot afford any more delay. How many consumers must get sick before we act?”
According to the Department of Agriculture, the JBS Swift Beef Company in Greeley, Colorado recalled more than 21 tons of beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli. The beef products were produced April 21 and 22, 2009. They went to distributors and stores in Colorado, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin.
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DeGette Supports Revitalizing Our Economy With Clean Energy Legislation
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, today supported H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which passed on a bipartisan vote of 219 to 212.
“In the face of overwhelming data on climate change, the U.S. House has finally taken action,” said Rep. DeGette. “This bill will unleash the entrepreneurial genius of America to address one of our greatest challenges.”
“We went to great lengths in this legislation to protect American consumers, particularly low income families, from rising energy costs. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, this legislation would cost the typical American household less than a postage stamp per day. But the cost of inaction on climate change is immeasurable.”
The American Clean Energy and Security Act reduces global warming emissions by over 80 percent by 2050 and creates a renewable energy standard of 20 percent by 2020. It invests in new clean energy technologies and efficiencies such as carbon capture and sequestration, electric and other advanced technology vehicles and modernizing the electricity grid. It also has provisions to protect consumers from energy price increases and protect trade-vulnerable industries.
Click here to read the nonpartisan CBO’s cost estimate. Click here to read the EPA’s analysis of the legislation.
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DeGette and Castle Respond to NIH Guidelines
Optimistic About Future Progress for Stem Cell Research
WASHINGTON – U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Michael Castle (R-DE), chief architects of bipartisan legislation expanding stem cell research, today released the following joint statement in response to the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) final guidelines on federal funding of stem cell research, including embryonic stem cell research. The guidelines are a requirement of the March 9th Executive Order issued by President Barack Obama, which overturned restrictions placed on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research by former President George W. Bush.
“We applaud the National Institutes of Health for releasing final guidelines on stem cell research today, as called for in President Barack Obama’s Executive Order on March 9, 2009. Since 2001, we have been working to strengthen federal support for scientific research, including embryonic stem cell research, which potentially holds so much promise for the millions of Americans who are living with debilitating diseases such as Parkinson’s, diabetes, and spinal cord injury.
“We are pleased to see that the NIH has taken into consideration the comments of 139 Members of Congress, including the need to determine eligibility of currently existing stem cell lines for federal funding, as well as the need for NIH to maintain a registry of eligible stem cell lines. The guidelines will enable researchers to build upon current research and facilitate further advancements. Additionally, we support the NIH’s commitment to continuously updating the guidelines as scientifically warranted.
“We look forward to fulfilling President Obama’s call on Congress to ‘provide further support for this research.’ We remain committed to formulating a bipartisan, bicameral consensus and sending complimentary legislation to the President, which will promote all ethical forms of stem cell research.”On May 27th, U.S. Reps. DeGette and Castle led a bipartisan group of 139 Members of Congress in submitting comments on the draft guidelines for human stem cell research.
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DeGette Applauds White House Commitment to Food Safety
Calls on Congress to Pass Comprehensive Food Safety Legislation Giving the FDA New Authorities to Protect ConsumersWASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, today released the below statement regarding the announcement by the White House on its key findings of the Food Safety Working Group. The Food Safety Working Group, created by President Obama in March, advises the Administration on how to upgrade the food safety system for the 21st century. The Working Group is recommending a new, public health-focused approach to food safety based on three core principles: prioritizing prevention; strengthening surveillance and enforcement; and improving response and recovery.
Last month, the Energy and Commerce Committee approved The Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 by a unanimous vote. Among other improvements, the bill incorporates U.S. Rep. DeGette’s two major food safety priorities, mandatory recall authority and traceability, which she has introduced every Congress since 2002.
“I applaud the Obama Administration’s announcement today that it is doing everything within its legal power to improve the safety of our food safety system. For too long, our food safety system has had gaping holes leaving American consumers vulnerable to tainted foods. It is good news that the Administration is implementing the recommendations of the Food Safety Working Group, but Congress must still pass comprehensive legislation to bolster the legal authority of our food safety agencies.
“This legislation, passed with bipartisan and unanimous support by the Committee, institutes preventative measures such as food safety plans, increased inspections, and better enforcement. Also, implementing mandatory recall and traceability would help get contaminated food off our store shelves more quickly in the event of an emergency. These important upgrades of our food safety laws will compliment the Administration’s actions today.”
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