[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 23 (Thursday, February 6, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H1662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REFOCUSING ON THE ENVIRONMENT

  (Mrs. DAVIS of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, climate change, offshore 
drilling, wildfires, scarcity--these concerns are expressed over and 
over again from my constituents in my district.
  People are anxious that the world that they are handing down to their 
children is not as pristine as the one they inherited. They plead with 
us to protect the environment. Yet time and time again, the House 
majority votes to undercut clean air and water laws, while blocking 
efforts to protect public lands. What a travesty when an allegiance to 
industry takes precedence over maintaining a healthy environment.
  This week, we wasted precious floor time with needless bills, like 
the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Emergency Water Delivery Act, which 
made a mockery of the serious drought in California. The House needs to 
stop bringing irresponsible bills to the floor, giving away our 
cherished lands, stripping away environmental protections, and doing 
nothing to solve real problems like the drought in California.
  We have heard their excuses. They say environmental regulations slow 
the economy, but let's be honest: putting the interest of 
appropriations above our environment is a dangerously expensive notion.
  Let's stop being reactionary and get ahead of these real problems 
facing our planet.

                          ____________________