[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4945]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TAMMY DUCKWORTH

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 26, 2014

  Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, March 25, 2014, I was 
unavoidably detained due to a family emergency and missed the following 
votes:
  An amendment, offered by Mr. Lowenthal, numbered 1 printed in Part B 
of House Report 113-374 to require States to implement the June 30, 
1983 Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement stream buffer 
zone rule, unless a State has a program with greater stream protection. 
Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this amendment.
  An amendment, offered by Mr. Cartwright, numbered 2 printed in Part B 
of House Report 113-374 to ensure that States maintain the ability to 
issue their own stream buffer rules. Had I been present, I would have 
voted ``yes'' on this amendment.
  A Motion to Recommit, offered by Mr. Bera. Had I been present, I 
would have voted ``yes'' on this amendment.
  H.R. 2824, a bill to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation 
Act of 1977 to stop the ongoing waste by the Department of the Interior 
of taxpayer resources and implement the final rule on excess spoil, 
mining waste, and buffers for perennial and intermittent streams, and 
for other purposes. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on 
this bill. H.R. 2824 is another cynical attempt to threaten the clean 
air and clean water my constituents in Illinois' 8th district rely on. 
Passage of this bill would undoubtedly open up our precious waterways 
to toxic mine waste and roll back the gains the Clean Water Act, the 
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), and Endangered 
Species Act have had for our communities. I have voted in the past to 
limit the materials that can be dumped in our waterways, including an 
amendment by Mr. Moran on H.R. 2609, and would have voted again to 
protect the miles of waterways and numerous communities that would be 
affected under H.R. 2824.

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