Ed Markey — Senator Markey on Senate Passed TSCA Legislation

thank you um yeah I thank you Jim so much for your leadership on this and Tom but we're here for Frank Lautenberg and for Bonnie and we know that Frank is smiling down here today on this incredible bipartisan gathering which he envisioned as the way in which we would be able to produce this legislation it's a statute right now tosca that simply does not work because ever since the industry successfully challenged EPA's asbestos from the ban EPA's authority to regulate dangerous chemicals has been broken and we also agree that only by working together would we be able to do something about it that is why getting this bill right is so important when this bill was first introduced I did not support it I voted against it in committee and call for significant changes to be made and when it became clear that the bills authors were willing to address my concerns then I partnered month with my good friend Senator Durbin to negotiate a range of important strengthening changes to the bill the legislation passed the Senate unanimously last night that is a great achievement none of us standing up here believe that it is perfect there are for all of us things we would each write differently in this legislation but it is the kind of bipartisan commitment married with compromise that yields important long-lasting legislation enormous credit is owed to the tremendous efforts made by senators Udall and bitter senator Inhofe and their staffs who maintained an openness to compromise that resulted in last night's unanimous vote a debt of gratitude is owed to senators copper and Coons two senators Merkley and Booker and White House who worked hard to improve this bill the bill now ensures that EPA will have enough funding from industry fees to assess and regulate chemicals it ensures that when EPA issues chemical safety regulations that industry will have to comply I a date certain it accelerates the regulation of all 90 chemicals that EPA has determined have the potential for high exposure and hazard so that quicker action must be taken unknown dangers like asbestos and tce it makes sure that if chemicals are found to be unsafe for groups like pregnant women children are workers that EPA has to write regulations to protect these more vulnerable populations it takes away the legal arguments used by industry to overturn the asbestos ban and make sure that EPA can actually do its job and finally this legislation includes language to further simplify the process for state attorneys general who are our chemical safety cops on the beat to continue to enforce federal chemical safety regulations I remain interested in ensuring that states can will easily take action to protect their residents and I will continue to work with my colleagues in both the Senate and the house in order to build the strongest possible protections against dangerous chemicals in our environment but today is really a hallmark day because it represents the best of how the Senate works together to craft bipartisan legislation that works for the American people let me now turn to recognize senator from Oregon Jeff Merkley