Congresswoman McCollum's Statement Regarding the H.R. 2681, Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act
Mr. Speaker, I want to clearly state my opposition to H.R. 2681, the so-called Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act. This legislation is a special interest giveaway that will fail to create jobs and will expose American families to unnecessary and unacceptable health risks.
Last month, President Obama proposed the American Jobs Act to address the nation's unemployment crisis. Economist Mark Zandi of Moody Analytics – a former McCain Presidential advisor – said the American Jobs Act would add 1.9 million jobs. Dozens of other independent economists agree this legislation would create jobs, boost economic growth and protect the country from slipping back into recession. Despite the urgent need to create jobs and grow the economy, the House Republican majority is refusing to bring the American Jobs Act to the floor for a vote.
Instead of passing the American Jobs Act, the majority is advancing a series of ideological bills that will cripple clean air and clean water protections. H.R. 2681 is the latest of these Republican assaults on public health. H.R. 2681 would delay the implementation of science-based rules to significantly reduce toxic emissions from cement plants. The 1990 Clean Air required the cement industry to reduce mercury and other pollutants. Today, cement plants are the third largest source of mercury pollution in the United States. Thousands of families living in the shadow of these plants are now suffering from increased rates of neurological disorders, birth defects, learning disabilities, cancer and other cardiovascular problems. Developing fetuses, infants and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to the deadly effects of mercury.
After 11 years of consultation with the cement industry and other stakeholders, the Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a proposal to close this dangerous loophole. For every $1 spent on complying with the EPA's proposed rules, the U.S. economy is project to reap $7-19 dollars in benefits from lower health care costs and higher productivity. This incredible return on investment shows that smart regulation can produce cleaner air, better health and a stronger economy.
Instead of offering a competing economic analysis, House Republicans are using anecdotal evidence to argue these new rules will harm employment in the cement industry. Contrary to what supporters of H.R. 2681 argue, employment in the cement industry has decreased due to efficiency gains in production and consolidation in the sector, not federal regulation. Even Republican economists are pushing back on the argument that federal regulation has a significant impact on job creation and retention. Bruce Bartlett, former economic advisor to President Reagan, is refuting these claims with data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that businesses do not cite regulation as a leading cause of layoffs. According to this data, regulations were responsible for a miniscule 0.2 percent of layoffs in 2010. Despite the evidence, Republicans continue to cling to their anti-regulatory red-herrings.
While H.R. 2681 may provide good partisan talking points for cable television and talk-radio, this legislation threatens real harm to families in Minnesota, and across the country. According to EPA's analysis, delaying the clean-up of toxic pollution from the cement industry for four years as called for in H.R. 2681 would result in devastating health effects, including up to: 10,000 premature deaths; 68,000 asthma attacks; 6,000 non-fatal heart attacks; and 520,000 days when people miss work because of illness.
For over forty years, the country has made tremendous bipartisan progress in cleaning up our environment while maintaining robust economic growth. We need to return to this tradition and re-focus our attention on legislation that will actually address America's pressing jobs crisis. I urge my colleagues to reject this legislation, end the political games, and stand-up for the health of American families.