[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 151 (Tuesday, October 11, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1811]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CEMENT SECTOR REGULATORY RELIEF ACT OF 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 5, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2681) to 
     provide additional time for the Administrator of the 
     Environmental Protection Agency to issue achievable standards 
     for cement manufacturing facilities, and for other purposes:

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I want to clearly state my opposition to 
H.R. 2681, the so-called Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act. This 
legislation is a special interest giveaway that will fail to create 
jobs and will expose American families to unnecessary and unacceptable 
health risks.
  Last month, President Obama proposed the American Jobs Act to address 
the Nation's unemployment crisis. Economist Mark Zandi of Moody 
Analytics--a former McCain Presidential advisor--said the American Jobs 
Act would add 1.9 million jobs. Dozens of other independent economists 
agree this legislation would create jobs, boost economic growth and 
protect the country from slipping back into recession. Despite the 
urgent need to create jobs and grow the economy, the House Republican 
majority is refusing to bring the American Jobs Act to the floor for a 
vote.
  Instead of passing the American Jobs Act, the majority is advancing a 
series of ideological bills that will cripple clean air and clean water 
protections. H.R. 2681 is the latest of these Republican assaults on 
public health. H.R. 2681 would delay the implementation of science-
based rules to significantly reduce toxic emissions from cement plants. 
The 1990 Clean Air Act required the cement industry to reduce mercury 
and other pollutants. Today, cement plants are the third largest source 
of mercury pollution in the United States. Thousands of families living 
in the shadow of these plants are now suffering from increased rates of 
neurological disorders, birth defects, learning disabilities, cancer 
and cardiovascular problems. Developing fetuses, infants and pregnant 
women are particularly vulnerable to the deadly effects of mercury.
  After 11 years of consultation with the cement industry and other 
stakeholders, the Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a 
proposal to close this dangerous loophole. For every $1 spent on 
complying with the EPA's proposed rules, the U.S. economy is projected 
to reap $7-19 dollars in benefits from lower health care costs and 
higher productivity. This incredible return on investment shows that 
smart regulation can produce cleaner air, better health and a stronger 
economy.
  Instead of offering a competing economic analysis, House Republicans 
are using anecdotal evidence to argue these new rules will harm 
employment in the cement industry. Contrary to what supporters of H.R. 
2681 argue, employment in the cement industry has decreased due to 
efficiency gains in production and consolidation in the sector, not 
federal regulation. Even Republican economists are pushing back on the 
argument that federal regulation has a significant impact on job 
creation and retention. Bruce Bartlett, former economic advisor to 
President Reagan, is refuting these claims with data from the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics showing that businesses do not cite regulation as a 
leading cause of layoffs. According to this data, regulations were 
responsible for a minuscule 0.2 percent of layoffs in 2010. Despite the 
evidence, Republicans continue to cling to their anti-regulatory red 
herrings.
  While H.R. 2681 may provide good partisan talking points for cable 
television and talk-radio, this legislation threatens real harm to 
families in Minnesota, and across the country. According to EPA's 
analysis, delaying the clean-up of toxic pollution from the cement 
industry for four years as called for in H.R. 2681 would result in 
devastating health effects, including up to: 10,000 premature deaths; 
68,000 asthma attacks; 6,000 non-fatal heart attacks; and 520,000 days 
when people miss work because of illness.
  For over forty years, the country has made tremendous bipartisan 
progress in cleaning up our environment while maintaining robust 
economic growth. We need to return to this tradition and refocus our 
attention on legislation that will actually address America's pressing 
jobs crisis. I urge my colleagues to reject this legislation, end the 
political games, and stand up for the health of American families.

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