Volume 165, No. 167 covering the 1st Session of the 116th Congress (2019 - 2020) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“LEGISLATIVE SESSION” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Senate section on pages S5951-S5952 on Oct. 22, 2019.
More than half of the Agency's employees are engineers, scientists and protection specialists. The Climate Reality Project, a global climate activist organization, accused Agency leadership in the last five years of undermining its main mission.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I understand we are waiting for another Senator, and when he arrives, of course, I will yield.
H.R. 3055
Mr. President, I was just talking with the distinguished senior Senator from Alabama a couple of minutes ago. I know he has spoken, and we have begun consideration of a bill containing the fiscal year 2020 Commerce, Justice, Science, Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development.
I mention this because all four of these bills are the product of hard work and bipartisan cooperation by each of the subcommittees. They were reported from the Appropriations Committee unanimously. Every single Republican, every single Democrat voted for it. It makes critical investments in affordable housing and infrastructure, rural development, our farming communities, small businesses, science, and our environment. They are good bills, and I am glad to have them before the Senate.
I want to thank the chairs and ranking members of the subcommittees and their staff for the good work: Senators Hoeven and Merkley, Senators Murkowski and Udall, Senators Collins and Reed, and Senators Moran and Shaheen. They all worked so closely together. They show, despite the difficult atmosphere we often operate in, the Appropriations Committee can still put partisan disputes aside and make strong investments in the priorities of our American people.
The Agriculture bill continues the significant progress made by this committee and in the 2018 farm bill to deliver real wins for farmers, families, and rural communities throughout Vermont and across the country. The bill rejects the disastrous cuts the Trump administration proposed for on-farm conservation, rural development, and rural energy programs and, instead, makes important investments in farming communities.
It is disappointing that this bill supports the administration's ill-
advised relocation of USDA research agencies. I have spoken out about this relocation effort and remain concerned about the loss of expertise and focus such a move precipitates at USDA.
I am pleased this bill further invests in the viability of our cornerstone Vermont industries, including dairy, maple, and organics.
It significantly increases funding for innovation in the dairy sector, funding that will directly benefit dairy producers in Vermont and across the country as they meet the challenges of a changing marketplace. The bill also takes important steps to preserve the integrity of the organic dairy market, increasing funding for key organic programs and directing USDA to finally implement rules that will level the playing field for small-scale producers.
The Agriculture bill also once again includes funding to support the farm to school program. This nationwide program has given children and schools across the country the tools to craft farm-fresh, healthy, and delicious meals that students enjoy, while teaching children about healthy eating habits.
The Interior bill makes significant necessary investments in clean water, clean air, stewardship of our public lands. I am particularly pleased it has critical funding through the Environmental Protection Agency that will support work on water quality, habitat and fishery restoration, and invasive species in Lake Champlain. The bill also increases funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund that will support efforts in Vermont and across the country.
For States like mine that have seen communities impacted by PFAS contamination, the bill includes additional funding for remediation.
The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill continues critical support for infrastructure programs like BUILD. Vermont and States across the country rely heavily on these Federal programs.
It also invests in our Nation's rail systems that I hope will help extend and maintain rail service within my State of Vermont.
I am also pleased that this bill continues support for a development partnership between the University of Vermont and the University of Mississippi to research unmanned aircraft systems. The bill also protects important investments in affordable housing and community development.
The bill again rejects the administration's request to eliminate programs that support our communities, including HOME, Community Development Block Grant Program, NeighborWorks, and the Rural Capacity Building Program.
The Commerce, Justice, Science bill makes critical investments in economic development programs. It also invests $7.6 billion for the 2020 census, the results of which determine how we distribute $900 billion in Federal spending every year. It also ensures appropriate representation in Congress. This once-a-decade investment is critical.
I am grateful that this bill has increased support for the lifesaving Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program, which earlier this year was given a permanent authorization by a unanimous vote in the Senate. It also supports important programs to provide support to crime victims, help to exonerate the wrongfully convicted, and to reduce recidivism.
So there are four good, bipartisan measures. I urge all Senators to support it. We have only 4 short weeks before the continuing resolution we are operating under expires. We need to do our work, and we need to do it quickly, so we can enact all 12 appropriations bills into law. These four bills are a good start.
Mr. President, I see our distinguished leader, a man we always rely on, on the floor, so I yield to Senator Durbin.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.
____________________
Alerts Sign-up