HURRAY! U.S. Senators have just rejected Rand Paul’s Congressional Review Act resolution to permanently disable the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule. So first, thank you to all the Senators who did the right thing.
And second, thank you to all of you who signed petitions and letters to their Senators urging them to take a stand on behalf of our children’s health.
And third, let me point out that the Rand resolution should have been defeated by a much wider margin–and once upon a time, not so long ago, it would have. It failed 41 to 56. This is too close for my comfort–and it should put parents across the country on alert.
Between this vote, and Rick Perry’s call in last night’s debate to abolish the EPA (once he was reminded what exactly it was he was thinking of–OOPS!) Americans can no longer take for granted that our leaders believe we have a right to clean air.
Some politicians believe that polluters’ right to pollute our air is more important than our right to protect our safety and health.
Until this year, I’ve never been someone who sits around watching Senate testimony for hours. So I have to tell you, this has been eye-opening. I’m astounded at some of the lows to which politicians will go in distorting truth. And I’m inspired by some of the clever arguments some politicians use: Lamar Alexander saying tourists come to Tennessee to see the Smokey Mountains, not the Smoggy Mountains. And I’m heartened by the passion and concern shown by Senators who understand that asthma is not just a minor health annoyance, it is life-threatening, and asthma is aggravated by pollution. I’m pleased, too, to hear Senators admonish their colleagues to pay attention to and respect what doctors and scientists say. Medical facts. Not just opinions.
Clearly we’ve got a big job ahead. Who knew that clean air could be so controversial?
Who could have predicted that some politicians would be willing to let children get sick–even fatally? Rather than do something to help them–something that creates jobs, uses American innovation and technology, and makes our world a better place.
As Senator Barbara Boxer put it so well:
“When we were kids our moms told us, ‘Clean up your room. You owe it to the rest of the family to clean up your room.’ Polluters need to clean up their room.”
It is immoral to dump poison at someone else’s front door.
I’m sure I’ll be asking your help again, soon. But for now, thank you all.
Sometimes, being a good mom means being an engaged citizen. You’ve been great moms–dads, too!