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Pelosi, Hoyer, and Pallone Joint Statement on Introduction of the Toxic Substances Control Act

May 23, 2016

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, and House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone released the following statement on the introduction of bipartisan legislation and a bipartisan manager’s amendment to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act:

“Our federal chemical safety laws have been broken for a long time. Most of all, they are inadequate to protect the health and safety of our families and our planet.

“Democrats remain concerned by Republicans’ provisions limiting states’ ability to act aggressively on toxic substances. However, the bill grants EPA with significant new authority to protect the public from unsafe toxic chemicals. House Democrats succeeded in empowering the EPA to unilaterally demand testing on chemicals it suspects are unsafe for people or harmful to the environment. Recent changes Democrats made will reduce the harm of the state preemption provisions in the bill.

“Senator Frank Lautenberg dedicated his career to fixing this law, and we honor his memory in this bipartisan legislation bearing his name. It is not the bill Democrats would have written on our own, but it is a long-overdue step forward to protect families and communities from toxic substances.”