Frank Pallone

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. McNerney).

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Atlantis Yacht Club of Monmouth Beach, New Jersey on its 60th Commissioning Day. As its officers and members gather to celebrate this milestone, I would like to join with them in honoring its history and spirit. Upon returning from World War II, a group of veterans and their families from Barnegat Bay to Englewood would meet up with each other at various locations along the eastern shoreline from New Jersey to Connecticut. Boating became a relaxing pastime for these families and provided an outlet from their memories of the war. In 1961, the group founded the club to further the fellowship that their boating engagements had developed. Begun at rented docks and an old Victorian home converted into apartments in Sea Bright, New Jersey, the club outgrew its first location after just three years. Needing a larger location, the group constructed its new home in Monmouth Beach, New Jersey. The area was marsh and needed dredging, fill, and construction to transform it into a beautiful club house, pool and docks. The extensive work was completed with each founding member contributing what he could in his area of expertise. The Atlantis Yacht Club welcomed its members to its current home in Monmouth Beach in 1968. Since then, its membership has continued to grow, but the kinship remains. The club worked together to rebuild after Superstorm Sandy and again to remain operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout its 60 years, the Atlantis Yacht Club has provided a welcoming and inclusive club for families of all backgrounds to enjoy and share. Madam Speaker, I sincerely hope my colleagues will join me in honoring the rich history of the Atlantis Yacht Club and celebrating its 60th Commissioning Day.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McNerney), who is a member of our committee and always looking to make everything green.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko), who is the author of the AQUA Act, which is the infrastructure piece of the water bill, and the chairman of the Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), who is the chair of our Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, and is the author of many of the auto safety provisions in this bill.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, the INVEST in America Act marks an important first step forward on President Biden's jobs agenda. This legislation invests in surface and water infrastructure to create jobs, revitalize the economy, and improve public health. I appreciate all the hard work that Chairman DeFazio and the members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee have done to make our transportation sector greener and more equitable. I am proud of the important drinking water legislation and vehicle safety legislation that is included in this bill that came out of my committee, the Energy and Commerce Committee. Madam Speaker, the drinking water provisions of this bill combine two pieces of legislation, the AQUA Act of 2021, authored by Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee Chairman Tonko, and the Low-Income Water Customer Assistance Program led by Representatives Blunt Rochester, Katko, Dingell, and Tlaib. Safe drinking water is one of our most fundamental human rights, yet right now, there are millions of Americans across the country who cannot trust that the water coming out of their taps is safe. That is simply unacceptable, and it is why the INVEST in America Act invests $117 billion to address drinking water infrastructure safety and affordability. The legislation increases authorizations for drinking water programs by more than $80 billion, including funding to replace lead service lines nationwide. There is no safe level of lead exposure. It comes with tremendous human health risks, and that is why we must replace the lead service lines that deliver our water and ensure every home is safe from lead contamination. The legislation also funds water resiliency programs, school drinking water safety programs, and Tribal water programs. Investments in drinking water infrastructure have a proven track record of creating jobs while improving public health protections. Requirements included in this bill will ensure those jobs and those health benefits reach environmental justice communities. The bill will also improve drinking water safety by repairing the broken standard-setting process under the Safe Drinking Water Act. We all know that we need to do more to ensure the safety of our drinking water. This bill would make targeted changes and set deadlines to empower the EPA to set the protective drinking water standards that our communities need. Madam Speaker, the bill provides assistance to low-income families so they can afford their water bills. Financial hardship should not stand between any family and basic access to water. This bill creates two water assistance programs similar to the successful Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, better known as LIHEAP. We also authorize funding to reduce or eliminate customer debt and prohibit water service shutoffs for 5 years for the participating water systems. These funds will give families peace of mind that they will continue to have access to safe, clean, and affordable water. The legislation also includes auto safety reforms that mandate proven safety technologies that could save 20,000 lives per year. In 2020 alone vehicular crashes resulted in over 42,000 deaths. The INVEST in America Act includes a bold vision of safety and innovation that will save lives, boost domestic manufacturing, and strengthen our industrial base. The safety reforms will deploy existing proven technologies that can have immediate lifesaving effects such as crash avoidance systems, drunk driving prevention technology, and it will put an end to children dying in hot cars. It also includes my Five-Stars for Safe Cars Act, legislation modernizing the five-star safety rating for the 21st century, providing consumers with meaningful comparative information about the safety of vehicles. Now, in addition to our water and safety provisions, Madam Speaker, there are several important amendments that will strengthen the bill even further. Particularly, I urge support for an amendment from Energy Subcommittee Chairman Rush that will supercharge electric vehicle infrastructure and electric vehicle deployment. It also encourages the domestic manufacturing of electric vehicle and infrastructure components. I also urge support for Representative Dingell's clean energy technology accelerator amendment that incorporates her bipartisan legislation with Representative Young and provides financing for clean energy infrastructure. So, Madam Speaker, the INVEST in America Act is transformative legislation that focuses our investments where they belong: revitalizing and modernizing our infrastructure, creating new, good- paying jobs, and taking a critical step to fulfill President Biden's promise to build back better. Madam Speaker, I urge strong bipartisan support for this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, may I inquire about the time remaining on each side.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Schrader).

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib), who has been so helpful in putting together the infrastructure and the assistance program in this bill.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, can I ask again how much time remains on each side?

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Garcia).

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I respect my colleague from Pennsylvania, but I have to say, I totally disagree that this legislation is not necessary. We know that America's drinking water infrastructure is failing. Anyone who experienced what happened in Flint, Michigan, or my own State, in Newark, knows that there are all of these lead pipes out there that need to be replaced. Congress has to take bold action to deliver crucial drinking water improvements that communities all around the Nation desperately need. I heard what my colleague, Congresswoman Tlaib, said, that safe drinking water is a fundamental human right, and that is true. These bills include significant and meaningful investments and reform that will ensure that every household has safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water. Congresswoman Tlaib and the Michigan delegation, they really brought home to us, practically speaking, what needs to be done here, both with the infrastructure improvements for drinking water as well as for the assistance for households and those with debt. Mr. Speaker, this is a very important bill. I urge bipartisan support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the en bloc No. 3 Republican amendments. Some of my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee on the Republican side earlier said that this water bill was not necessary, and I strongly disagree. A lot needs to be done to ensure the safety of our drinking water. We saw what happened in Flint. In my State, we saw serious lead contamination in Newark. This bill would provide new resources to address lead and PFAS in drinking water, including $45 billion for lead service line replacement. But the Rodgers amendment in this bloc would strip these resources out. And, unfortunately, the Hudson amendment would direct the PFAS resources in the bill toward just one set of PFAS chemicals, undermining access to those resources for communities in need. The underlying bill would provide increased funds for resiliency, to help water systems plan for and adapt to climate change. But the Rodgers amendment would strip out those increases. The underlying bill provides for deadlines for the EPA to set health- protective standards for PFAS, 1,4-dioxane, and microcystin toxin, which are long overdue. But the Rodgers amendment would strip out those deadlines. The underlying bill also makes targeted changes to improve the standard-setting process and empower EPA to set standards as needed. The current standard-setting process has been an utter failure. EPA has not been able to complete that process for a single drinking water standard in the 25 years it has been in place. That should be unacceptable to all of us. But the Rodgers and McKinley amendments would strip out the changes this bill makes on standard-setting. Instead of working with us to improve the standard-setting process, my Republican colleagues seem intent on preserving the status quo, despite so much evidence that this is simply not enough. Let me turn briefly to the affordability provisions of this bill. This bill authorizes significant new funding to reduce or eliminate customer water debt, recognizing that water debt has become a crisis in this country. Importantly, water systems taking these funds will agree not to shut off customer water access for nonpayment for a 5-year period, offering families peace of mind as we all recover from the pandemic. But Representative Curtis' amendment would strip out that shutoff moratorium and make it harder for EPA to get this assistance out the door. Last but not least, the drinking water provisions of this bill will establish permanent rate assistance programs for drinking water and wastewater service to help families pay their bills and avoid a repeat of our current debt crisis. These programs have broad support from all kinds of stakeholders. Safe drinking water is a fundamental human right, and the drinking water provisions we have included in the INVEST in America Act include significant and meaningful investments and reforms to help guarantee that right. The Republican amendments in this bloc would undermine each of these improvements, leaving nothing but the status quo. It is no longer enough to keep pushing the status quo. We have urgent public health and infrastructure needs that require that we build back better, as the President says. The INVEST in America Act takes significant steps toward repairing our water infrastructure, creating jobs, and protecting public health. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on these harmful amendments and pass the underlying bill to affirm that safe drinking water is a fundamental human right.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of this amendment. I would like to thank the chairman of the Energy and Commerce's Energy Subcommittee, Chairman Rush, for his dedicated commitment to supporting the development of electric vehicle infrastructure. Electrifying the transportation sector is critical to meeting our climate goals. It is expected that nearly seven million electric vehicles will be sold per year by 2025. To ensure we are ready for this growing demand, we must invest in the necessary charging and manufacturing infrastructure so that Americans are able to reliably power their cars. Chairman Rush's amendment is crucial to this effort and supports charging infrastructure build-out. We must also guarantee the benefits of electric vehicles are available and accessible to all communities. Minority communities and rural and underserved communities, stand to benefit from EV infrastructure development, as EV charging infrastructure can help support local economies and help support reduced emissions. Provisions in this amendment help address the lack of EV infrastructure in these communities and bring resources to this area. Additionally, as we see growing EV adoption in this country, we must make sure our transition prioritizes American workers.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S.J. Res. 14.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today, we are here to consider S.J. Res. 14, a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the Environmental Protection Agency's 2020 methane rescission rule. This Trump EPA action removed direct Federal limits on methane pollution from new and modified oil and gas facilities, essentially increasing pollution and exacerbating the climate crisis. While we are voting on the Senate version of this joint resolution today, I want to thank my colleagues, Representatives DeGette, Peters, and Lamb, for leading this effort in the House. The House version of this resolution advanced out of the Energy and Commerce Committee earlier this month. Mr. Speaker, methane is a potent climate-disrupting greenhouse gas that is responsible for approximately one-third of our warming and resulting climate disruption. Addressing methane is an urgent and essential step to mitigate climate change. The greatest and most cost-effective way to curb methane pollution over the next decade is through the fossil fuel sector, which is the largest industrial source of methane emissions in the United States. Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA has a responsibility and obligation to protect public health and welfare from dangerous climate pollution like methane. But because of the Trump rescission rule, there are now no clean air protections in place to curb dangerous methane pollution from the oil and gas sector. What is more, the Trump rule created massive regulatory loopholes that shield the vast majority of climate pollution produced by the oil and gas industry from critical Federal standards for years to come. The Trump action was a thinly veiled attempt to block regulation of the worst oil and gas industry actors at the expense of our health, our safety, and our planet; and it came at a time when we need these protections more than ever. Mr. Speaker, without bold action to curb emissions from the hundreds of thousands of sources in the oil and gas sector, methane pollution will continue to cause significant harm to public health, threaten the stability of our economy, and compromise the well-being of future generations and the planet. That is why this joint resolution disapproving of the rescission rule and reinstating the 2016 Obama-era methane standards is so important. Ambitiously addressing methane can yield tremendous climate, public health, and financial benefits across the country. It is why we see an outpouring of support from business and consumer groups, State and Tribal officials, local government officials, outdoor recreation and tourism leaders, environmental and conservation groups, and health and faith leaders. We even have significant support from within the oil and gas industry itself. So, today, we are using the Congressional Review Act to soundly reject and nullify one of the most egregious environmental rollbacks of the Trump administration. With today's vote, Congress stops the significant retreat we witnessed during the previous administration in the fight against climate change, and we reinstate an essential tool for addressing the harm a warming world means for our communities, our health, our economy, and the planet. With today's vote, Congress restores the robust Clean Air Act pollution standards established in 2012 and 2016, while clearing a path for stronger protections in the future. With today's vote, Mr. Speaker, Congress recognizes the danger methane poses, as well as the economic opportunity and certainty created with commonsense and cost-effective limits on this pollution. Since the Senate already passed S.J. Res. 14 with a bipartisan vote of 52-42, it is now up to the House to do the same so we can send this resolution to the President's desk. For the sake of our communities, our families, our country, and our future, I strongly urge all Members to join me in supporting this joint resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette), your neighbor and the prime sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 486, I call up the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 14) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to ``Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources Review'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Peters), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and a strong environmentalist.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes now to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez), who also represents one of my favorite places, Santa Fe.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Lamb), one of the chief sponsors of this legislation.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining on each side?

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.