WASHINGTON - Today, in a bipartisan news conference in the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and David Vitter (R-La.) announced major new support for their bipartisan legislation to overhaul the nation's broken chemical safety law. This week, 14 senators from both parties and representing citizens across the country joined the bill as cosponsors. The total number of senators supporting the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act is now 36.
The 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act is so outdated and broken it has failed to regulate asbestos, but previous efforts to reform the law have died for lack of bipartisan support. With momentum continuing to build for the Udall-Vitter bill, the senators urged Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring the bill to a vote on the Senate floor.
The new cosponsors are: John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
Previously announced cosponsors are: Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.); Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and John Thune (R-S.D.).
"Well over a third of senators - from 25 states and all across the political spectrum - have voiced their support for stronger laws that will ensure there's a cop on the beat to protect our children from dangerous chemicals. We can't let this momentum die - and I urge Leader McConnell to bring this bill to the Senate floor for a vote as soon as June," Udall said. "Most states - including New Mexico - have no ability to test and keep our kids safe from dangerous chemicals. There's no cop on the beat because the law is so broken. That's why it's so important to pass meaningful reform now, while we have bipartisan support."
"Now with the support of 36 Republican and Democrat cosponsors, as well as a diverse group of outside organizations, the message is quite clear - the time to pass the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act is now. Our legislation will protect families and future generations, while also ensuring the United States can continue to compete internationally," said Vitter. "I am incredibly optimistic as we draw closer to fixing our nation's outdated, inefficient chemical safety law, and urge Senate leadership to bring the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act to a vote in the coming weeks."
"Since 1990, when I was an original cosponsor of the Clean Air Act Amendments, Congress has been mired in gridlock on environmental issues. As Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I'm proud to say we are back to tackling important issues like TSCA reform legislation which passed out of committee with overwhelming bipartisan support," said Inhofe. "TSCA reform is long overdue, and I am fortunate enough to have worked with the late U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg early on in the process. Senators Udall and Vitter have continued to work tirelessly to further Frank's legacy by taking on TSCA reform this Congress. Today's announcement of 14 new cosponsors shows even more bipartisan momentum as we work towards this bill becoming law to better protect the families of Oklahoma and our nation."
"For nearly 40 years, a broken regulatory system for toxic substances has failed to protect Americans from risks to their health," said Carper. "I believe that continued inaction on this issue cannot be an option and it's my sincere hope that we seize this great opportunity to fix the problem. Bipartisanship is rare in the Senate these days, and even more so on environmental issues, but Senators Udall and Vitter have worked tirelessly to find a bipartisan compromise that protects American families and creates a manageable regulatory framework for American businesses."
The Udall-Vitter bill passed the EPW Committee last week on a strong bipartisan vote of 15-5 thanks in part to important amendments pushed by Whitehouse, Merkley and Booker, who are among the 14 new cosponsors.
The bill is named for the late Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), a longtime champion for a strong chemical safety law, and it has the support of his widow Bonnie and numerous advocates for public health and the environment as well as labor groups, former officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and attorneys general from New Mexico and several other states.
The bill dramatically improves current law by requiring EPA to consider only the health and safety impacts of a chemical - never the cost or burden to manufacturers - when assessing chemicals for safety. It ensures special protections for those most vulnerable from chemicals - defined in the bill as pregnant women, infants, the elderly and chemical workers. It sets a new fee so chemical companies will bear a larger share of the cost of evaluating and regulating chemicals. And it provides certainty in the law about when states may step in if EPA does not act to regulate or ban dangerous chemicals.
A compromise agreement added to the bill by Whitehouse, Merkley and Booker addressed concerns that had been raised about the legislation. The changes make it clear that states may act to regulate a chemical if EPA misses required deadlines. The agreement also ensures that states will get waivers to act on chemicals while EPA is evaluating them for safety. And it makes clear that states may co-enforce the law, with the condition that penalties may not be collected from both the state and the federal government for the same violation.
Whitehouse: "The Toxic Substances Control Act is badly outdated and has failed to protect public health and the environment from toxic chemicals for decades. We now have an historic opportunity to update and improve the law, and I believe this bill will help give American families peace of mind that everyday products we rely on are safe. I'm glad we were able to strengthen the bill before it was approved by the EPW Committee, and I thank Senators Udall, Vitter, and Inhofe for their leadership."
Merkley: "Our current system for controlling toxic chemicals in consumer products is deeply broken. The bipartisan agreement on a new toxics bill will greatly improve the ability of the federal government to protect citizens, while preserving the ability of states to act when the federal government fails to do so. I look forward to Congress taking up this bill."
Booker: "This bill is getting better thanks to bipartisanship and an openness to addressing several concerns raised in the course of committee hearings and debate. Senator Frank Lautenberg worked tirelessly during his life to find common ground to advance important reforms of the Toxic Substances Reform Act. That the legislation bearing his name is now gaining momentum by virtue of bipartisan cooperation is a tribute to this great New Jerseyan's legacy."
Kaine: "This is a true bipartisan effort to update a 40-year old chemical safety law that everyone agrees is obsolete. Consumers get an up-to-date law that will do a better job keeping them safe from harmful chemicals and businesses get the certainty they need. The good faith shown in this process is a model for legislative cooperation, and I hope this example will be repeated."
Cornyn: "This legislation is a critical step in ensuring that Texas companies can continue to create jobs while ensuring important health and environmental safeguards for chemicals in commerce are met. I'm happy to cosponsor this bipartisan bill that has support from business and environmental groups."
Boozman: "This legislation is a commonsense, bipartisan approach to protecting American families from toxic chemicals and reforming outdated rules for improved regulatory certainty. I'm proud to support this effort that will have a positive impact on future generations."
Stabenow: "The law that is supposed to keep our families safe from toxic chemicals is badly broken. A mother should never have to worry about whether the toys she buys her children are safe to play with, or that the air outside of her home is safe to breathe. This bipartisan bill strengthens safety standards by making sure families and workers are protected."
Peters: "Our policies have not kept up with the expanded use of chemicals over the past four decades, and it's clear to me that the status quo is badly broken. This bill has broad, bipartisan support from environmental groups, businesses and elected officials from opposite ends of the political spectrum, and I believe we should seize this opportunity to protect our children and families from toxic chemicals."
