Dave's Weekly Wrap: March 1, 2015
Friends,
It was a busy week both at home in Ohio's 14th Congressional District and in our Nation's Capitol.
Great Lakes
This week, we passed H.R. 212, The Drinking Water Protection Act, a bill I was proud to cosponsor with my colleague from Northwestern Ohio, Rep. Bob Latta. As you probably know, algal blooms in Lake Erie made the water undrinkable in Toledo for three days this summer. That's unacceptable, so we worked together to pass a bill that requires the EPA to develop a plan to deal with the algal toxins in drinking water.
I had a chance to directly question EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy about this problem when she testified before me, since I serve on the Interior & Environment Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.
I'm leading the charge in Congress to make sure our Great Lakes are preserved and protected. So this week I was invited to speak before the Great Lakes Commission and the Northeast-Midwest Institute to give them an update on our efforts in Congress.
Committee Work
In Congress I serve on the House Appropriations Committee, and the main function of that agency is appropriate, or determine, how your tax dollars are spent. Since I serve on that Committee, I get to directly question Cabinet members and leaders of federal agencies about the money they spend. Each year, after they submit a budget request to Congress, they must come before the Appropriations Committee and explain why they need the amount of money they asked for.
It is this process that enables me to really scrutinize how different agencies are spending your money. This week, the House Appropriations Committee held over 19 different hearings where leaders came before us. Here are some of the leaders I directly questioned this week.
Military Construction & Veterans Affairs
Sergeant Major Daniel A. Dailey, Sergeant Major of the Army
Master Chief Petty Officer Michael D. Stevens, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Sergeant Major Michael P. Barrett, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
Chief Master Sergeant James A. Cody, Sergeant of the Air Force
Interior & Environment
Secretary Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior
Administrator Gina McCarthy, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
It is an honor to serve you,
Dave
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