Ranking Member Lofgren Reacts to Trump Administration Plan to Gut EPA ORD
(Washington, DC) – Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) laid out its plan to gut the EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD). Plans to dismantle EPA ORD were first revealed in a document reviewed by Science Committee Democratic Staff in March and reported by the New York Times. EPA ORD is critical to American public health and is tasked with conducting the science and research that enables the EPA to make life-saving decisions on toxins and chemicals in the environment.
“By eliminating the Office of Research and Development at EPA, Donald Trump just told the American people that his promise to make them healthier was a lie," said Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (CA-18). "Toxic chemicals in your workplace, your home, your soil? Get used to it. This is a despicable act that rewards polluters by making every single American less safe. It’s also flatly illegal. EPA is required by law to use the best available science to protect public health and the environment – and now EPA science is gone. It’s clear that EPA lied through its teeth for weeks about this — even as recently as last night — because it wanted to wait as long as possible to be held accountable for this disastrous, dangerous, and unpopular decision. This is a dark day for America. Polluters will celebrate while the country gets sicker. But we won’t forget who did this, and Science Committee Democrats will work every day for however long it takes until science is restored to its rightful place at EPA.”
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