[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5062-5063]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  THE CLEAN AIR ACT MUST BE KEPT ALIVE

  (Mr. INSLEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, we will all breathe easier if we are able to 
reach a bipartisan consensus about this budget impasse that we now 
have. But we will

[[Page 5063]]

 not all breathe easier if the Republicans succeed in essentially 
eliminating the ability of Uncle Sam to enforce the Clean Air Act.
  Now, I know it seems pretty shocking, but the fact of the matter is, 
tonight, as these discussions are going on, the Republicans want to put 
a rider--one of these noxious viruses on a bill--a rider that would 
make it illegal for the Environmental Protection Agency to protect our 
children's health against asthma in enforcing the Clean Air Act.
  Now, this is pretty amazing. It cannot stand. We are encouraged that 
the majority leader has said they will not allow these riders.
  Let's get a compromise to deal with this deficit, not make it harder 
for our kids to breathe, not make it easier for asthma to ravage our 
kids, and let's preserve a bipartisan success in the Clean Air Act.

                          ____________________