https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-cantwell-and-murray-cosponsor-historic-senate-resolution-expressing-no-confidence-in-epa-administrator-scott-pruitt-calling-on-pruitt-to-resign
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) joined a group of 170 members of Congress to cosponsor resolutions in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives that express no confidence in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt and formally call on him to resign. The resolutions come in response to Pruitt’s repeated ethics violations, misuse of taxpayer dollars, and actions that fundamentally undermine the mission of the EPA – favoring big polluters at the expense of science, our environment, and the health of children and families. The resolutions, led by Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) in the Senate and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) in the House, include 39 senators and 131 representatives. The 39 cosponsoring senators represent the highest number of senators in U.S. history to sign on to a resolution formally calling for a cabinet official’s resignation.
The Senate resolution reads in part: “.. under Administrator Pruitt the Agency is hemorrhaging staff and experts needed to protect the health, safety, and livelihood of millions of people in the United States, with more than 700 employees of the Agency having left or been forced out of the Agency during his tenure as Administrator.” The resolution continues: “… Administrator Pruitt has continually overridden the recommendations of scientists of the Agency in order to provide relief to industry, leaving in place the use of harmful chemicals, pesticides, and policies that are directly impacting the health and well-being of millions of people of the United States.”
The resolution follows numerous revelations about Pruitt’s ethical violations, widespread conflicts of interest, and repeated misuse of taxpayer dollars for his personal benefit, including:
The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office determined that the EPA violated federal law by purchasing a $43,000 phone booth for Pruitt’s office – and then hiding that purchase from Congress.
Pruitt entered into a sweetheart housing deal to rent a Capitol Hill condo from the wife of a lobbyist – paying just $50 a night, and only paying for the nights he slept there.
Pruitt has racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills for luxury travel perks, including booking lavish first class and charter flights to Europe and elsewhere, staying in luxury hotels, and traveling with a huge entourage of staff and security.
Pruitt has reportedly reassigned or demoted EPA staffers who questioned his spending habits – at the same time that the EPA Inspector General is investigating him for giving unusual pay raises to favored aides.
Pruitt has deployed EPA enforcement officers to provide round-the-clock security with questionable justification.
As the lawmakers noted in the resolution, in addition to flouting the ethical standards of his office, Pruitt has done untold damage to the EPA and carried out a long list of actions to benefit his polluter friends – at the expense of the health, safety, and livelihood of American families, including:
Under Pruitt, the EPA is hemorrhaging staff and experts needed to protect the health and safety of the environment and the American people.
Pruitt has repeatedly overridden the recommendations of EPA scientists in order to provide relief to industry, like when he reversed the recommendation of his agency’s scientists to ban the use of the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos, which has been linked to brain damage in children.
Pruitt has delayed the effective date of regulations, eased enforcement of existing regulations, and delayed the implementation of new regulations that are essential to protect public health and combat pollution.
Pruitt has failed to exercise the enforcement authorities and duties of the EPA, which are needed to investigate and deter pollution violations.
Pruitt has undermined the science at every turn, purging advisory committees of independent scientists and replacing them with mouthpieces for industry.
News story related on recent actions of EPA Chief
Administrator Pruitt Takes Important Action on Lead-Contaminated Site, Announces WIFIA Program in Indiana
press release issued 4/ 19/ 18
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/administrator-pruitt-takes-important-action-lead-contaminated-site-announces-wifia-0
WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt signed a memorandum to accelerate removal of lead contamination in Indiana, near the site of a former metals facility. He also announced that Indiana will receive a $436 million federal loan through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program.
Cantwell, Senators Call on Administration to Take Immediate Action to Reduce Price of Life-Saving Opioid Overdose Reversal Drug
press release issued 4/18/ 19
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-senators-call-on-administration-to-take-immediate-action-to-reduce-price-of-life-saving-opioid-overdose-reversal-drug
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and 15 of her colleagues today called on Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to take immediate action to increase access to and reduce the price of naloxone, a life-saving opioid overdose reversal drug.
The senators’ letter follows a recent national advisory issued by the United States Surgeon General urging more Americans to keep on hand and learn how to use naloxone delivery devices. The letter also follows recent moves by retail pharmacies to widen access to products containing naloxone and, in many states, make them prescription-free.
“No police officer, no firefighter, no public health provider, and no person should be unable to save a life because of the high price,” wrote the lawmakers. “By bringing down the cost, we can get this life-saving drug in the hands of more people as called for by the Surgeon General. Doing so will save countless lives.”
The price of hand-held auto-injector forms of naloxone have increased from $690 in 2014 to more than $4,000 today for a two pack, while the cost of one type of injectable naloxone drug has nearly doubled between 2009 to 2016, according to a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine[WB(1] . In addition, the cost of Narcan, a form of naloxone that comes as a nasal spray, is listed at $150 per two pack, putting the life-saving drug out of reach for many families.
“The Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis recommended empowering the HHS Secretary to negotiate reduced pricing,” the lawmakers continued. “To date, no such action has been taken by HHS. We urge HHS to immediately negotiate a lower price for easy-to-administer naloxone combination products. In addition, we ask you to ensure affordable coverage for individuals with health insurance, including Medicare, Medicaid, and individual and employer-sponsored plans.”
“While a $50 or $60 overdose reversal drug may not seem like a lot of money, it is cost prohibitive for many families. By addressing the increasing price of naloxone, first responders, health care providers, and family members will be able to save lives in an overdose situation," said Spokane City Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer.
Today’s letter comes as Senator Cantwell continues her leadership in the fight against the opioid epidemic. In December of 2016, Senator Cantwell supported the 21st Century Cures Act, which provided over $1 billion in federal funds to combat the opioid epidemic, including $11.7 million in funding for Washington state. In February of 2018, Cantwell introduced the CARES Act, to hold opioid manufacturers accountable for misleading advertising and negligent distribution practices. Later that month, Cantwell joined a bipartisan group of colleagues to introduce CARA 2.0, a comprehensive bill to increase funding for programs providing opioid education, treatment, and recovery.
Remarks from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. on Fiscal Year 2019 budget request for FDA
As prepared for delivery to U.S. House Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development
Chairman Aderholt, Ranking Member Bishop, and Members of the Subcommittee. I’d like to thank the Committee for your commitment to FDA. We’ve been fortunate to receive strong bipartisan support in recent years. And the 2018 budget was no different.
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm604826.htm
Cantwell To Congress: Talk Is Cheap When It Comes To Supporting Our National Parks
Press release issued 4/ 18/ 18
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-to-congress-talk-is-cheap-when-it-comes-to-supporting-our-national-parks-
Washington, D.C. – Today, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) called for a greater investment in our National Parks and highlighted the need for a strategic approach to deferred park maintenance.
"We have been talking about this issue for a long time because we want to enhance the public’s experience, we want to rehabilitate these buildings, and we want to make sure that there are park rangers there to keep the public safe," said Senator Cantwell. “We know that shortfalls really do erode the user experience, hurt the gateway communities, and threaten visitors as they travel through our parks.”
“With over 330 million visitors annually, the National Park System is key to that huge outdoor economy, and according to the Park Service, visitors are responsible for $35 billion in economic output and they spend over $18 billion each year in national gateway communities. And the number of visitors is only growing,” said Senator Cantwell.
“Besides increasing access…I think we really need to focus on the quality of the experience,” said Senator Cantwell.
Zinke Signs Secretarial Orders to Increase Recreational Opportunities on Public Lands and Waters
https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/zinke-signs-secretarial-orders-increase-recreational-opportunities-public-lands-and
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today signed two secretarial orders continuing his efforts to prioritize the Department of Interior’s recreation mission and increase access to public lands.
Secretarial Order 3366 directs certain Interior bureaus to create and deliver plans to the Department within 90 days that focus on developing or expanding recreational opportunities on public lands and waterways. This order also directs bureau heads to designate one full-time employee charged to oversee recreational opportunities.
WORLD NEWS HEADLINES FROM THE UN NEWS CENTER & OTHER SOURCES...
UN PRESS RELEASE: Despite Recent Challenges, Colombia Represents Pinnacle of Success in Fostering Peace, Security Council Hears at Briefing on New Developments
While circumstances had tested commitment to the peace agreement in Colombia, a united Council had helped to sustain resolve, demonstrating how it could effectively contribute to peace, members of that body heard this morning.
https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/sc13307.doc.htm
In annual memorial, UN pays tribute to 140 fallen staff members
Were it not for the sacrifices of United Nations peacekeepers, humanitarians and other personnel, the people who needed urgent support in the most difficult and dangerous environments would have experienced greater suffering, the top UN official said Thursday in an annual memorial service for fallen colleagues.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/04/1007682
Mosquito-packed drones ready to join fight against Zika and other deadly diseases – UN agency
Robotics may soon be a critical ally in the fight against disease-spreading bugs, a United Nations agency said Thursday after a successful test releasing sterile mosquitos from aerial drones as part of efforts to suppress the insect that spreads Zika and other diseases.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/04/1007672
UN rights experts urge Iran to annul death sentence against prisoner
A group of United Nations human rights experts have called on Iran to annul the death sentence against a prisoner citing serious concerns that he was tortured in detention and did not receive a fair trial.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/04/1007652
( more world news headlines on page 2)
IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION:
page 2
Senator Murray: Bridenstine’s “failure to accept fundamental scientific truths about Earth’s climate” & “history of hateful, demeaning, and divisive comments” make him unfit to lead U.S. civil space
PAGE 3
The Sweeping Legacy of First Lady Barbara Bush
Page 4
Inslee letter to U.S. Department of State on restrictive refugee policies
Page 5: Over 120 companies in the Spokane area support industry employers across the world, including Boeing, making it America’s fifth largest aerospace cluster.
Page 6: Senators Murray, Cantwell Introduce Legislation to Protect American Coasts from Catastrophic Oil Spills
Murray & Cantwell's continued effort to have the US be depended on foreign oil!
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