Date: 2015-04-30
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. let me begin by thanking Chairman SIMPSON and Ranking Member KAPTUR for the work that they have done. a very challenging and popular appropriations when it comes to energy and water and also the issues of the environment. I have a very simple amendment that reinforces our commitment to communities from rural America to urban America. from hamlets and villages to large urban centers. And it simply emphasizes a quality of life: for all Americans to have a good. clean environment. to reduce asthma in children. to help senior citizens. and to have a good quality of life in their sunset years. in their older homes. in older communities. of which I represent. is an important funding necessity for this Nation. I want to emphasize the work that has been done and remind my colleaguesfor those of us who had the privilege of being herethat President Clinton issued an executive order directing Federal agencies to address the disproportionately high and adverse human health environmental impacts on minority and lowincome populations. which covered rural America. which oftentimes experienced the impact of the environment. We have worked over the years to improve their quality of life. and today I ask that we continue to do so. In particular. I want to refer to a project in Houston. Texas. called the CAS site. That site was attempted to be cleaned up. It is in an older neighborhood. Madam Chair. Senior citizens own their homes. They have been there for a long time. There have been a lot of machinations about this entity that is espousing chemicals. leaking chemicals because it is old and closed down and abandoned. And we had to call upon the environmental justice sector in the Federal Government to provide the leverage to help these senior citizens. people who did not want to move from their homes. I walked those streets. went into the backyards of senior citizens and saw the seepage coming out of the ground and. as well. coming in from the property on the back side. Environmental justice is a good thing. and it is through those efforts that we are working with the EPA to give hope to these citizens that they can stay in their homes. I live in the energy capital of the world. It is a jobcreator. But on occasions. in the midst of our wetlands and our areas of pristine. if you will. environmental assets. we have some ups and downs. Just recently. I flew over the Houston port at the time of a spillage that was impacting some of our most environmentally important areas. including wetlands and areas that are protected or are important to the environment and to the quality of life. So I am asking that the Jackson Lee amendment be accepted for the importance of providing for the continued support of environmental justice and equality for areas that are both urban and rural. Let me finish by making this statement. Madam Chair. This is an important cause because. as we look at the funds that are dealing with environmental justice. they increase youth involvement through science. technology. engineering. and math. They also help to promote clean energy. weatherization. cleanup. asset revitalization. and they help my constituents and the constituents of so many in this body whose older neighborhoods are sometimes impacted by older entities that are left behind in the neighborhood where seniors continue to live. I want to be able to walk those neighborhoods and make sure that my seniors can stay in their homessmall frame homesand make sure that as they stay in their frame homes. that they will have the quality of life that all of us would like. Again. I want to thank the chairman and ranking member. This is a tough job to do. And I would like to emphasize the importance of the funding for environmental justice and helping to continue. if you will. to put focus and emphasis on quality of life for homeowners. seniors. and people living in rural America and urban America. Madam Chair. I want to thank Chairman SIMPSON and Ranking Member KAPTUR for shepherding this legislation to the floor and for their commitment to preserving Americas great natural environment and resources so that they can serve and be enjoyed by generations to come. My amendment increases funding for DOE departmental administration by $1.000.000 which should be used to enhance the Departments Environmental Justice Program activities. Madam Chair. the Environmental Justice Program is an essential tool in the effort to improve the lives of lowincome and minority communities as well as the environment at large. Twenty years ago. on February 11. 1994. President Clinton issued Executive Order 12898. directing Federal agencies to identify and address the disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of their actions on minority and lowincome populations. A healthy environment sustains a productive and healthy community which fosters personal and economic growth. Maintaining funds for environmental justice that go to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. MinorityServing Institutions. Tribal Colleges. and other organizations is imperative to protecting sustainability and growth of the community and environment. The funding of these programs is vital to ensuring that minority groups are not placed at a disadvantage when it comes to the environment and the continued preservation of their homes. Through education about the importance of environmental sustainability. we can promote a broader understanding of science and how citizens can improve their surroundings.