Congress: Protecting Polluters, Not People

By Lynn Thorp, National Campaigns Director Another day, another House committee debating whether our regulations that keep our water drinkable, air breathable, and communities healthy are worth it. As early as tomorrow, the powerful House Appropriations Committee will take up consideration of bill that is  already full dirty water riders. It's time to tell Congress, "No!" It's getting tiring isn't it? The most anti-environmental Congress uses every chance it gets to go after clean water and clean air programs. This is serious stuff and some Members of Congress are on a mission to challenge pretty much all of work of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Not withstanding that fact that EPA's work is all about implementing the laws Congress has passed. These members are protecting polluters, not people. This week's dirty water activity is in the Appropriations Committee.  It's taking up the 2013 "Interior Environment Appropriations" spending bill, which funds EPA and other agencies. There are already many bad provisions in the bill and more will be added in the Committee tomorrow. These include things  you've heard about before (and, for the record, things we've beat back several times already), like an attempt to prevent EPA from closing gaps in Clean Water Act protection. Closing these gaps has been a priority for Clean Water Action for a decade. In case your eyes glaze over when you see the word "wetland," you can learn here why wetlands are far more than a landscape feature! Please check here to see if your Representative is on the Appropriations  Committee and if they are, use whatever way you can to reach and tell them not to vote for dirty water spending bills.  Even if they are not, your Representative can influence their colleagues. You know that people support water protections. We recently worked with allies to commission and release a poll that confirms this. Ask your Representative to listen to the people and support clean water, clean air and healthy communities. #ProtectCleanWater!