Umpteenth’ bid to block clean water protections fails in U.S. Senate

Media Contacts
John Rumpler

Clean Water Director and Senior Attorney, Environment America

Environment America

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today the U.S. Senate, by a vote of 56-42, rejected a move by Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) to block the Obama administration’s landmark Clean Water Rule. Meanwhile yesterday, more than two dozen senators led by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) introduced a comprehensive package to protect our drinking water from lead and other health threats. Environment America’s senior attorney John Rumpler issued the following statement:

“Today, in the wake of Flint and the day before Earth Day, polluters and their allies in the Senate sought for the umpteenth time to derail protections for sources of drinking water for one in every three Americans.

“For the umpteenth time, they failed, thanks in part to those in Congress who’ve stood up for our drinking water time after time — from Sen. Barbara Boxer to Rep. Marcy Kaptur to President Obama himself. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine also gets credit for voting for clean water today.

“It’s time for Congress to start protecting our drinking water instead of attacking it. Yesterday Sen. Ben Cardin introduced a comprehensive package to protect our drinking water from lead and other health threats following the Flint crisis. We urge Congress to swiftly adopt Sen. Cardin’s proposal —  to provide Flint with the resources it urgently needs and prevent threats to drinking water in other communities throughout the country.”