CHICAGO — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), top Democrat on the Fisheries, Wildlife and Water Subcommittee, addressed members of the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) today to discuss the importance of combating climate change and supporting the clean energy economy. During her remarks, Duckworth also criticized President Trump’s recent budget proposal, which would gut the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and eliminate critical environmental protection programs like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, threatening the health and safety of our families and our planet. A photo of the event is available here.
“Climate change is one of the gravest threats of our time and we’re already experiencing its devastating effects in Illinois and across the country,” said Senator Duckworth. “That’s why I find the President’s recent actions so troubling. Not only has he proposed a budget that would severely limit the ability of the EPA to protect us from pollution and keep our children safe from lead poisoning, but the President also failed to affirm the United States’ commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. That’s unacceptable. Our nation should be leading the way on creating a more sustainable future, and I’ll keep working each day to ensure our government does not jeopardize the safety of families in Illinois and the entire country.”
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Since being sworn into the Senate, Duckworth has been a strong advocate for the preservation and expansion of commonsense initiatives to protect the environment. Duckworth recently joined a number of her colleagues in writing to President Trump to strongly encourage him not to embarrass the United States by withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement. Earlier this month, Duckworth penned a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt calling on him to protect agency’s regional or program offices including Chicago’s Region 5 office from being closed or consolidated. Duckworth also signed a bipartisan letter to Pruitt urging him to fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in light of the Trump Administration’s proposed budget cuts to the Initiative, which has been key to stopping the invasion of harmful species such as Asian carp. These fish pose a serious threat to the food supply and habitat of native fish in bodies of water throughout the Midwest, including the Great Lakes.
The Environmental Law & Policy Center is a public interest environmental legal advocacy organization working to protect our natural resources and improve the environment. ELPC brings together public interest environmental entrepreneurs, attorneys and business specialists seeking to solve environmental problems and expand sustainability efforts nationwide.
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