Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Chair, I rise today to speak on my amendment prohibiting funds from being used to undermine the EPA's Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, or MATS.

These regulations have been implemented by the power sector and have protected children and communities from mercury, lead, arsenic, and other air toxics from power plants for the past 7 years.

Furthermore, the administration's proposal to jeopardize mercury standards isn't even supported by the power industry. They have already spent billions to comply, and major power sectors and labor groups have asked that the standards be left in place and that the EPA does not move forward with its proposal to undermine them.

Finalized in 2012, the EPA recognized the significant public health benefits of MATS. Then, the EPA estimated that MATS would yield up to $90 billion in public health benefits each year. Now, MATS is fully implemented and has shown to be lifesaving, preventing more than 11,000 premature deaths every year and 130,000 asthma attacks each year.

As a pediatrician, I have seen firsthand the impact of air pollution on our children. Pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable when they are exposed to heavy metals, which impact the central nervous system with potentially devastating effects on neural development.

What we are talking about here is a known public health risk to millions of people. We cannot abandon a policy that has already been proven to work and save lives. MATS has already been shown to prevent premature deaths, adverse effects on pregnant women and children, and health problems like asthma.

It is critical that we protect our children and families from the well-documented health risks posed by mercury and heavy metals and prohibit taxpayer dollars from being used to roll back these safeguards.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum).
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Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Chairman, I would simply request that my opposition, my colleague, double check his facts. This is well-documented. This is effective. It is cost saving, and the costs have already been paid by the energy sector. This is something that they do not even want to see rolled back.

Mr. Chairman, it protects public health. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

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