2024 Federal Candidate Questionnaire

Clean Water Act programs are responsible for nearly 50 years of progress in cleaning up and protecting our nation’s vital water resources. The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency has left vital water bodies including most wetlands and many streams without protection. The Clean Water Act of 2023 would restore protection for water bodies that serve critical functions, including influencing drinking water quality downstream. Will you support the bill when it is re-introduced in the next Congress?

The Clean Water Act’s visionary goal of eliminating water pollution is far from realized. Will you support efforts to strengthen and modernize Clean Water Act pollution limits to protect water quality and drinking water sources and supporting robust funding for Clean Water Act programs? 

Our nation’s drinking water and wastewater systems need billions of dollars of infrastructure improvements to update aging facilities and better meet the challenges of providing clean water to our nation’s residents. The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is providing a significant infusion of funding, including for lead service line replacement, but ongoing investment will be needed. Will you support efforts to significantly increase investments in updating drinking water and wastewater facilities and replacing lead service lines, improving treatment, and protecting drinking water sources?

Communities of color and low-income communities bear the greatest burden of environmental pollution, have the least access to programs to address this pollution, and are too often left out of decision-making processes that affect their communities. Will you support legislation like the Environmental Justice for All Act (S919) that would codify and expand the 1994 Executive Order on Environmental Justice, require all federal agencies to embed environmental justice issues in their work and require consideration of cumulative impacts in permit decisions?

Budgets of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other federal agencies addressing environment and conservation issues have failed to keep up with their increased responsibilities. This reduces their ability to adequately implement vital health and environmental programs. Will you support increased funding for federal programs that protect the environment and public health and oppose anti-environment “riders” and amendments during the appropriations process?

25% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the US come from public lands, primarily from coal, oil and gas extraction, while proposed new leases along the US coastline will continue to increase domestic fossil fuel extraction activities.  Will you support actions and policies that end fossil fuel extraction and production on federal lands and to stop opening new areas of our coastline and the Arctic Wildlife Refuge for drilling leases?

Considering the water quality and drinking water risks from oil spills and the global climate crisis, will you oppose efforts to build new fossil fuel infrastructure and advocate for the decommissioning of outdated and dangerous fossil fuel infrastructure like the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline, which is operating 20 years past its intended lifespan and threatens the Great Lakes?

Coal, oil and gas enjoy billions of dollars each year in subsidies. These subsidies undercut investment in clean energy and are an inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars. Will you support eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, including tax credits for oil and gas production activities that threaten drinking water, such as enhanced recovery?

PFAS chemicals, the so-called “forever chemicals,” are a class of human-made chemicals that are toxic even in very low concentrations and highly persistent and mobile in the environment. They have been increasingly found in water across the nation, including drinking water sources and are in many consumer products, food packaging and firefighting foam. Will you support legislative proposals or EPA action to limit use of these chemicals and to hold polluters accountable for the damage they have done?

The foundations of our democracy are being challenged by restricting the freedom to vote, unlimited spending on campaigns, and gerrymandering so extreme that district maps around the country have been thrown out by courts. While many states have taken positive action, we need to set baseline national standards. Will you support legislation like The Freedom To Vote Act and The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to protect voting rights and access, ensure fair and representative redistricting, strengthen election security, reduce the influence of dark money in politics, and strengthen legal protections against voting discrimination? 

Clean Water’s research has exposed significant electoral spending by fossil fuel interests that in turn distorts the country’s energy and climate policies. Will you pledge to not take any campaign contributions from fossil fuel companies, their executives, or lobbyists?