[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 149 (Thursday, October 6, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1795]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        H.R. 2250 AND H.R. 2681

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                         HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 6, 2011

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, the American people can breathe 
easier--well, perhaps that's the wrong choice of words--the American 
people should be thankful to the leadership of the House for pursuing 
the pro-pollution agenda they have clamored for these many months.
  After legislative successes that have included begrudgingly passing 
Continuing Resolutions to fund government operations, the House turned 
this week to the top national priority of relaxing pollution controls 
for cement kilns and hamstringing the EPA's ability to crack down on 
harmful emissions from industrial boilers.
  I wonder why it has taken so long to get these critical bills to the 
floor. In my district on Long Island, I'm often mobbed by constituents 
demanding more mercury in our air. And clearly economists agree it's 
the silver bullet we need to jumpstart the economic recovery.
  Perhaps the majority believes that clean air is choking our recovery 
and the economy is drowning in drinkable water.
  But, in all seriousness, we are pursuing this pollution agenda while 
failing to deal with the real issues stifling job growth, things like a 
shortage of credit for small businesses, unfair currency manipulation 
by China and stagnant consumer demand.
  So, Mr. Speaker, how about instead of passing a bill to make it 
easier for cement kilns to pollute, let's do something real, like put 
construction workers to work using cement to rebuild our nation's 
infrastructure.

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