Ranking Members Larsen, Napolitano Statements from Hearing on 2024 Budget Request for EPA and Other Agencies

Hearing

"Thank you, Chairman Rouzer and Ranking Member Napolitano for holding this second hearing on the Administration's FY 2024 budget request for agencies within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

First, let me congratulate Ranking Member Napolitano on her service to Congress and the United States. Since 2007, Grace has been a trailblazing member of this Committee--fighting to make our waters cleaner and our transportation system safer and greener.

As former Chair of this Subcommittee, Grace was instrumental in delivering historic, bipartisan solutions to national, regional, and local water resources challenges--shepherding four of the last five WRDA bills and advancing the first reauthorization of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund in its history.

She has been a tireless advocate for smart, resilient water policy and robust water investments--making sure that her communities and communities across the United States are prepared for the challenges they will face with a changing climate.

Finally, Grace has been a leader in ensuring a voice for our underrepresented communities, including communities of color and tribal communities.

I wish her the very best for the remainder of her service and for her future endeavors after her time in Congress.

Mr. Chairman, these budget hearings offer important opportunities to discuss how the administration's priorities for the federal agencies we oversee line up with congressional priorities and expectations.

The Committee's oversight responsibility over the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other agencies on the panel today extends to money that has already been appropriated, including by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

In the BIL, on a bipartisan basis, Congress affirmed its commitment to water infrastructure with a significant investment--$12.7 billion in federal dollars for upgrading wastewater systems, preventing pollution and supporting restoration programs in places like the Puget Sound where I'm from.

These investments are critical, providing a lifeline to communities across the country struggling to maintain water quality. Members who voted for the BIL voted for clean water.

We have consistently supported investments in water infrastructure to protect public health and the work EPA and other agencies do in support of this clean water mission.

I know firsthand the importance of the EPA's regional watershed program for the Puget Sound.

The increased focus and federal resources associated with EPA's regional programs for the Puget Sound, the Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes, and other critical regional waterbodies, are vitally important to the communities Members on this Committee represent.

Clean bodies of water enhance the quality of life, the economy and the health of the communities that surround them. Maintaining robust federal funding for EPA, and defending against potential cuts in the FY2024 appropriations process, will continue to be a top priority for House Democrats. All the agencies here today provide important services when it comes to clean water across the country.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service assists local communities in carrying out watershed projects for flood protection, water management, and ecosystem enhancement.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has many programs and activities, including work on harmful algal blooms and National Coastal Zone Management.

The International Boundary and Water Commission implements the various boundary and water treaties between the United States and Mexico, with its impact felt from the Tijuana River to the Rio Grande.

And finally, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry is a vital part of our nation's public health system that assesses the presence and nature of health hazards at Superfund sites. I would note that 15% of their staff was sent to East Palestine just to deal with one train derailment.

I look forward to the testimony and thank each of the witnesses for your participation in today's hearing."

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