Gottheimer: Garrett's Career Opposition to Clean Water Hangs Families Out to Dry
Press Release
Josh Gottheimer, candidate for Congress in the 5th District, today called out Tea Party incumbent Scott Garrett for a career of fierce opposition to critical safeguards that have left New Jersey children and families vulnerable to dangerous and unhealthy chemicals in our drinking water.
"Scott Garrett has built a career out of dismantling common sense water protections for our children and families," said Gottheimer. "He has consistently fought against investments to fix and improve safe water infrastructure. Time and again, he has voted against the Clean Water Act. Clean water shouldn't be a partisan issue, but Garrett has routinely put his extreme Tea Party ideology ahead of the health and safety of our children and families."
Gottheimer said that better safeguards are needed to keep harmful chemicals such as perfluorooctanoic acid, also known as PFOA or C8, out of our drinking water. Local communities also need resources to acquire proper water treatment technologies and replace older lead pipes.
"I speak to concerned parents every day who are worried about dangerous chemicals like PFOA potentially being in the water their children drink, bathe and play in," continued Gottheimer. "As a parent of young children myself, I want to make sure communities have the tools they need to act aggressively to keep harmful contaminants out of our water."
The Record reported last month that state officials are developing new safeguards to address rising concerns about the level of a potentially harmful man-made chemical found in the environment and New Jersey drinking supplies. The chemical, PFOA, is a likely human carcinogen and has been linked to numerous health problems. Despite the adverse health effects, the chemical is one of thousands not currently limited by the state or federal government. State and federal testing over recent years have found elevated levels of the chemical in five North Jersey towns.
Meanwhile in January, Garrett joined with the Tea Party in an attempt to permanently block the EPA and Army Corps' Clean Water Rule. The rule restored protections that keep the small streams and wetlands that feed into the drinking water of one in three Americans free from pollutants.
Garrett voted for an obscure and extreme Congressional Review Act "Resolution of Disapproval" which would not have just stopped the Clean Water Rule, it would have permanently prevented the agencies from ever issuing similar protections in the future.
In his thirteen years in Congress, Scott Garrett has built one of the worst environmental records in the entire House, earning a lifetime 9% score from the League of Conservation Voters. The organization Clean Water Action, gave Scott Garrett a zero percent rating in 2011-2012 and again in 2013-2014 for his consistent record opposing safeguards for clean water.
"The bottom line is that our families are paying the price for Garrett's failures then and his current inaction now," said Gottheimer. "If we can't at the very least count on Scott Garrett to help keep the water our children drink safe, then what can we count on him for?"
Garrett's long history of Anti-Clean Water Votes includes:
In January 2016, Garrett voted for a resolution to permanently block the EPA and Army Corps' Clean Water Rule. [S J RES 22, Roll call vote #45, 1/13/2016]
In 2011, Garrett voted against a motion which continued the EPA's authority to regulate pollutants in drinking-water sources. [HR 2018, Vote #572, 7/13/11]
In 2011, Garrett voted for a bill which undermined the Clean Water Act by removing the EPA's ability to enforce it. [HR 2018, Vote #573, 7/13/11]
Garrett opposed the Water Quality Investment Act of 2009. [HR 1262, Vote #123, 3/12/09]
In 2005, Garrett voted twice against increasing funding for the Clean Water Fund. [HR 2361, Vote #198, 5/19/05] [HR 2361, Vote #194, 5/19/05]
In 2005, Garrett voted to protect companies responsible for gasoline-additive MTBE water contamination. [HR 6, Vote #129, 4/21/05]
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