[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16957]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  SEQUESTRATION IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT

  (Ms. CHU asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. CHU. Sequestration wasn't written to be good fiscal policy. It 
was never intended to be policy, period. These automatic cuts would 
deeply hurt our environment. This Congress has already tried to roll 
back our strongest environmental laws. Now we're on the verge of 
setting a new low.
  Sequestration could force the national parks and forests to turn away 
visitors. Our Forest Service, which fights wildfires, might not have 
enough money to put out all the flames. Agencies protecting us from 
harmful toxic waste may have difficulty going after our worst 
polluters. This is no solution to our deficit problems.
  Now is the time for both sides to work toward a responsible 
compromise. As I said before, sequestration was never intended to 
happen, so let's not let it.

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