Protecting Our Environment

Climate change must not be a partisan issue. It is the global challenge of our generation and requires dedicated leadership to tackle it. We only have one planet, and it is important that we protect it for future generations. We must fight to keep the “Pure Michigan” that we love so much. I am proud to have a 100 percent pro-environment voting record from the Michigan League of Conservation Voters.

For too long, Michigan communities have been plagued by dangerous lead pipes. That’s why I was proud to vote for the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act which allocated $2.9 billion dollars for lead pipe mitigation. This is the single largest federal investment in clean water in American history, and nothing short of transformational.

In 2020, the House passed my PROTECT Act to add PFAS to the Environmental Protection Agency’s list of hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. The inclusion is particularly important because PFAS chemicals that can travel long distances through the air are making their way into Americans drinking water. This bill was part of the PFAS Action Act which would ensure cleanup of PFAS contaminated sites under the Superfund program, establish drinking water standards for PFAS chemicals, and create a grant program to support the installation of treatment technologies in our municipalities.

As we work towards a greener future, effective recycling plays a huge role. Currently, less than 10 percent of plastics are recycled, a figure that is absolutely unacceptable. I have led the charge in Congress to innovate America’s recycling systems, and am the founder and chair of the Congressional Plastic Solutions Task Force and a member of the House Recycling Caucus. As Chair of the Research & Technology Subcommittee, I convened the first Science, Space and Technology Committee hearing about recycling in a decade after hearing concerns about the long-term viability of local recycling programs in southeast Michigan. I have introduced widely supported, bipartisan legislation to combat the plastic waste crisis in the United States which will call on the Federal government to develop a strategic plan for plastic waste reduction, and the development of standards for plastics recycling. I believe that the solutions to so many of our most pressing issues can be harnessed through innovation, and I am working tirelessly to ensure that SE Michigan is leading the way.