Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ), joined by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Todd Young (R-IN), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Rob Portman (R-OH), reintroduced the Central American Women and Children Protection Act (S. 2003) to address the protection and safety of women and children in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. The bipartisan legislation seeks to decrease and deter violence against women and children in the Northern Triangle and increase safe access by female and child survivors of violence to adequate, appropriate, and coordinated support services. The bipartisan bill would also enhance the performance, will and capacity of justice system officials in Central America, including police, prosecutors, and courtroom personnel to provide a coordinated, multi-disciplinary, victim-centric response to crimes of violence against women and children.  

Rubio is the Ranking Member of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues.

Menendez is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

“I am proud to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation which would provide much-needed resources, training and additional tools for the victims of violence in Central America, who are predominantly women and children,” Rubio said.  “By increasing the capacity of the criminal justice systems, and family courts in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, the U.S. is supporting the strengthening of these institutions by providing assistance, protection, and empowering families with clear objectives to protect survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, abuse, and neglect.”

“As a nation committed to protecting the most vulnerable and to fostering global and regional security and stability, the United States has both a moral imperative and fundamental responsibility to provide assistance to counter the alarming levels of violence perpetrated against women and children in Central America. We cannot sit idly by as our closest neighbors suffer from some of the highest rates of homicide – and femicide – in the world, and impunity persists for horrific violence against women,” Chairman Menendez said. “By strengthening criminal justice systems and family courts’ ability to protect victims, and promoting prevention and early detection in community and school environments, the Central American Women and Children Protection Act of 2021 lays a critical foundation for the social and economic development for communities in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.”

RUBIO, MENENDEZ, COLEGAS REINTRODUCEN PROYECTO DE LEY EN APOYO A MUJERES Y NIÑOS CENTROAMERICANOS

Washington, D.C. — Los senadores estadounidenses Marco Rubio (R-FL) y Bob Menendez (D-NJ), junto a los senadores Susan Collins (R-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Todd Young (R-IN), Chris Coons (D-DE) y Rob Portman (R-OH), reintrodujeron la Ley de Protección de Mujeres y Niños de Centroamérica (S. 2003) para abordar la protección y seguridad de mujeres y niños en El Salvador, Honduras y Guatemala. El proyecto de ley bipartidista busca disminuir y disuadir la violencia contra las mujeres y niños en el Triángulo del Norte y aumentar el acceso seguro de mujeres y niños sobrevivientes de violencia a servicios de apoyo apropiados y coordinados. El proyecto de ley bipartidista también mejoraría el desempeño, la voluntad y la capacidad de los funcionarios del sistema de justicia en Centroamérica, incluidos la policía, los fiscales y el personal de la sala de audiencias, para brindar una respuesta coordinada, multidisciplinaria y centrada en las víctimas a los delitos de violencia contra mujeres y niños.

Rubio es el Miembro de Más Alto Rango del Subcomité sobre Hemisferio Occidental, Crimen Transnacional, Seguridad Civil, Democracia, Derechos Humanos y Asuntos Globales de la Mujer.

Menéndez es el Presidente del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores. 

“Me enorgullece reintroducir esta legislación bipartidista que proporcionaría recursos, capacitaciones y herramientas adicionales muy necesarios para las víctimas de la violencia en Centroamérica, que son predominantemente mujeres y niños”, Rubio dijo. “Al aumentar la capacidad de los sistemas de justicia penal y los tribunales de familia en El Salvador, Honduras y Guatemala, EE. UU. estamos apoyando el fortalecimiento de estas instituciones al brindar asistencia, protección y empoderamiento de las familias con objetivos claros para proteger a las sobrevivientes de agresión sexual, violencia doméstica, abuso y negligencia”.

“Como una nación comprometida con la protección de los más vulnerables y con la fomentación de la seguridad y estabilidad global y regional, Estados Unidos tiene un imperativo moral y una responsabilidad fundamental de brindar asistencia para contrarrestar los alarmantes niveles de violencia perpetrados contra mujeres y niños en Centroamérica. No podemos quedarnos de brazos cruzados mientras nuestros vecinos más cercanos sufren algunas de las tasas más altas de homicidio – y feminicidio – en el mundo, y persiste la impunidad por la horrible violencia contra las mujeres”, Menéndez dijo. “Al fortalecer los sistemas de justicia penal y la capacidad de los tribunales de familia para proteger a las víctimas, y promover la prevención y la detección temprana en entornos comunitarios y escolares, la Ley de Protección de Mujeres y Niños de Centroamérica de 2021 sienta una base fundamental para el desarrollo social y económico de las comunidades en El Salvador, Honduras y Guatemala”.

Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

Washington, D.C. —  U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) along with Representatives Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) and John Curtis (R-UT), introduced the Justice for Victims of Kleptocracy Act of 2021. The legislation directs the U.S. Department of Justice to publish and update the amount of money that has been stolen by the authoritarian leaders of kleptocratic regimes and recovered by U.S. law enforcement. This straightforward measure would demonstrate America’s clear commitment to the rule of law around the world and send a powerful message to those suffering under kleptocracies that the United States stands on their side.

Joining Rubio and Blumenthal in introducing this bill were Helsinki Commission Chairman Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Peter Meijer (R-MI), Katie Porter (D-CA), and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA).

“I’m proud to join Senator Blumenthal in introducing this bipartisan and bicameral bill which will shine a light on the money stolen by corrupt regimes worldwide,” Rubio said. “From Maduro and Castro to Xi Jinping and Putin, this bill will facilitate accountability by exposing the illegal assets of foreign corrupt officials recovered by U.S. law enforcement.”

“This bill is a step towards accountability and justice against corrupt authoritarian regimes,” Blumenthal said. “Around the world, oppressed citizens have been silenced as they live under the reign of brutal leaders, threatening their livelihood and survival. In giving a voice to the voiceless and exposing thievery from foreign corruption, the Justice for Victims of Kleptocracy Act will reaffirm the United States as a champion for democracy and the rule of law.”

“We must remember that the number one victims of the Putin regime are the Russian people. Corrupt officials raid pension funds and state coffers and then live the high-life on their tax dollars. We see this pattern in every dictatorship,” Congressman Malinowski said. “In support of President Biden’s new anti-corruption plan, this bill will hold corrupt leaders like Putin accountable by making public exactly how much of their stolen money has been recovered by the United States and from whom it was stolen.” 

“The illegitimate ruler Nicolas Maduro violates the human rights and dignity of Venezuela’s citizens while enriching himself at the expense of his people, all while driving his nation into economic ruin with his disastrous policies. Similarly, Vladimir Putin suppresses those fighting for democracy while those in his inner circle are financially prospering by stealing from the Russian people,” Congressman Curtis said. “The Justice for Victims of Kleptocracy Act would shine a light on the extent of corruption against the people of Venezuela, Russia, and all those oppressed by corrupt authoritarians.” 

“Autocrats in Russia, North Korea, and across the globe cling to power through brute force and blatant theft,” Congressman Phillips said. “It’s time that we shine a light on their shameless corruption and signal to dictators – and the world – that America is watching, and kleptocracy will not be tolerated. As a founding member of the Caucus Against Foreign Corruption and Kleptocracy, I am proud to support this important legislation, and I am confident it is only the first of many bipartisan initiatives to confront global corruption and combat authoritarianism in all of its forms.” 

“Whether it’s Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, or the Castro family in Cuba, brutal dictators across our hemisphere are lining their pockets while ruthlessly oppressing their people,” Congresswoman Salazar said, a founding member of the Caucus against Foreign Corruption and Kleptocracy and an original cosponsor of the legislation. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in co-sponsoring the Justice for Victims of Kleptocracy Act which will expose these regimes for the thieves that they really are.”

Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

The Senate’s Missed Opportunity to Counter China
By U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
June 10, 2021
National Review

This week, the Senate passed the United States Innovation and Competition Act, what many mistakenly referred to as the “China bill.” It should have been an opportunity to strengthen our markets and national research infrastructure against the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) predatory behavior. Instead, it effectively gives Beijing carte blanche to keep exploiting one of America’s greatest economic vulnerabilities: the openness of our capital markets.

…

Those of us committed to long-term prosperity and opportunity in our nation must recognize the massive vulnerabilities to Americans’ national and economic security this creates. For decades, Beijing has understood that the highest priority of America’s financial sector is to maximize short-term profits — even as investment, as well as research and development, collapses at home — and works daily to exploit that mindset. The results speak for themselves; 2019 was the first time in history that the U.S. became a net investor in China, and, over the last year, Americans’ investment in Chinese corporations has increased by nearly $70 billion.

At Wall Street’s direction, millions of Americans’ retirement accounts are today being used to fund the CCP’s century-defining efforts to supplant American leadership. Major American fund managers now speak openly about hedging their bets by investing in China, in case Beijing wins the competition for the 21st century…

No other country would so willingly invest in an adversary. Our markets should serve our people and our national interests, not China’s. If you’re enjoying the many benefits of being an American corporation — a friendly business climate, proximity to the world’s greatest research institutions, a stable and fair legal system — you should feel invested in our nation’s future.

…

As I explained back in May, a real China bill would have tackled these issues head on.

First, it should have banned American money from being invested in Communist Chinese military companies…

Second, the bill should have ensured Americans aren’t providing financial support to other dangerous Chinese supply chains…

Finally, the Senate bill should have banned Chinese companies that routinely dodge U.S. regulatory oversight from publicly listing on U.S. stock exchanges…

Too many in our financial sector might be okay with leveraging America’s future for a quick profit. I’m not. Policy-makers must act now to end the exploitation of U.S. capital markets, which is empowering a genocidal regime trying to beat us in the most important geopolitical contest of our lifetimes. The United States Innovation and Competition Act fails to accomplish this. It’s a major missed opportunity to correct a vulnerability that now risks haunting our nation for generations.

Read the rest here.

Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today met with the Foreign Affairs Committee Chairs of the G7 and EU member states to discuss the upcoming G7 Summit. After the meeting, the lawmakers issued the following joint statement:

 

“This year’s G7 summit comes at a pivotal moment for the world. We, the G7 Foreign Affairs Committee Chairs of the United States of America, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, welcome the continued efforts of the G7 governments to seek joint responses to shared challenges. The G7 provides a vital forum for leading democracies to come together, and we encourage the G7 governments to make full use of this year’s summit to address the critical issues facing the international community of states. Essential to which is the need to build back better from the pandemic, setting a deliverable path to net zero, and form a robust defence of the values that bind democracies together.

 

GOAL ONE – Lessons from the Pandemic

No country has escaped the Covid-19 pandemic. The profound effect it has had on our societies has been felt in the tragedies families have had to endure and the toll it has taken on the global economy. Thanks to the skills of our scientists and the dedication of our medical teams, as we emerge from the pandemic, we can learn from the tough lessons of the crisis to build back stronger and smarter. We urge the G7 governments to deepen the cooperation of scientific communities, administrations, and individuals who have been force multipliers throughout the hardship. The pandemic has revealed that while individual responses may be warranted where national circumstances dictate, in mutual challenges we are only as strong as the weakest among us.

 

GOAL TWO – Vaccinate the world

Building on the work already done to ensure equitable access to vaccines through the February G7 meeting and the recent COVAX AMC Summit co-hosted by Japan and Gavi, we urge the G7 governments to secure access to vaccines across the world and each take their share of the burden in this joint effort. The effects of Covid-19 anywhere will not cease until they have been dealt with everywhere; sharing funding and access to vaccines will be a vital step towards global recovery.

 

GOAL THREE – Develop open technology standards

Future years will require a renewed emphasis on growth, jobs, and innovation. Technological leadership will be key to vitalizing our industries and shaping global politics. Quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and increased communications speed are set to radically change the global economy over coming decades. Their power in fuelling growth and challenging existing liberties cannot be overstated. We urge the G7 governments to lead to cooperate in setting global norms and standards that are in line with our values and interests, shaping our future and defending our interests encoded in the technology.

 

GOAL FOUR – Support economic recovery

To restore the public’s trust in the economy it will be necessary to ensure families feel confident they can provide for themselves and get a fair chance. Where communities have felt abandoned, we urge the G7 to work with like-minded states to form partnerships founded on mutual respect for the norms that govern trade to support an economic recovery for all.

 

GOAL FIVE – Secure level playing field for global trade

We welcome the recent communiqué by the G7 Trade Ministers calling for negotiations in response to market-distorting subsidies and trade-distorting actions by state enterprises. We urge ever closer co-operation between the G7 governments on addressing imbalances in global trade, and in tackling the challenge of autocratic regimes exploiting the openness of our economies for their own gain. We also welcome the emphasis on addressing the issue of forced labour in international supply chains and encourage the G7 governments to make full use of technological advancements to determine new standards that defend our economies against international corruption, crime, and exploitative practice.

 

GOAL SIX – Make carbon costs fully transparent 

Nowhere is the need for cooperation more visible than in responding to climate change and environmental protection. COP26, under the joint presidency of the UK and Italy later this year in Glasgow, will provide the G7 governments with a key opportunity for action. The G7 are uniquely well-placed to make use of their economies, translating domestic innovation into modernisation, and use their diplomatic networks to negotiate the solutions of tomorrow to this complex crisis which is both social and environmental. We urge the G7 governments to set ambitious goals on environmental protection and ensure the real cost of carbon emissions is fully reflected in the value of goods and services and across supply chains.

 

GOAL SEVEN – Defend democratic values

The G7 are bound together by shared values that underpin our societies and our liberties including our parliamentary assemblies. These rights are under threat from the increasing assertiveness of autocratic regimes. We cannot afford to let the universality of human rights become an afterthought. We must be unwavering in our commitment to upholding the rule of law and encourage others to fulfil their responsibilities in upholding their citizens’ rights. We urge the G7 governments to unite with like-minded partners to form a robust defence of the rule of law, human rights and democracy, standing with the vulnerable where they are exploited and defending the rights of those who oppose the expansive and exploitative instincts of autocrats. To do anything else would leave us exposed abroad and undercut at home.

 

We wish the G7 governments a productive summit and look forward to co-operating on the legislation that ensues to achieve these goals and the prosperity, inclusion, and happiness of all our citizens.”

 

The statement was issued by:

 

Senator Bob Menendez

Chairman, United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee

 

Sven Spengemann MP

Chair, Canadian Parliament

 

David McAllister MEP

Chair, European Parliament

 

Jean-Louis Bourlanges

Chair, French National Assembly

 

Dr Norbert Röttgen MdB

Chair, German Bundestag

 

Piero Fassino MP

Chair, Italian Chamber of Deputies

 

ABE Toshiko MP

Chair, Japanese House of Representatives

 

Tom Tugendhat MP

Chair, UK Parliament

 

###

 

Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion, introduced her bipartisan bill, the Travel Optimization by Updating and Revitalizing Infrastructure to Support Mobilization (TOURISM) Act. This bipartisan legislation – introduced alongside Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-MS); Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus Co-Chair Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion Ranking Member Rick Scott (R-FL); Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV); and Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus Co-Chair Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) – requires that the National Travel and Tourism Infrastructure Strategic Plan is updated to develop an immediate-term and long-term strategy for the Department of Transportation (DOT) and other agencies to use infrastructure investments to revive the travel and tourism industries in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In Nevada, travel and tourism are central to our state’s economy and a major part of our state’s workforce. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, America’s travel and tourism industries have experienced significant challenges,” said Senator Rosen. “My colleagues and I introduced this bipartisan legislation to update our national strategy for investing in America’s travel and tourism infrastructure, which will boost the economy in our state and nationally. By making these additional investments, we can help American travel and tourism get back to creating jobs, drive economic growth, and allow visitors to see and take part in the unique and worthwhile experiences that our communities and our states have to offer.”

“The travel and tourism industry is a key pillar of the American economy,” said Senator Wicker. “It may take years to restore travel and tourism to its pre-pandemic levels. However, I am hopeful that the bipartisan TOURISM Act will identify opportunities to help the sector prosper once again.”

BACKGROUND: The bipartisan TOURISM Act is endorsed by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority, the Vegas Chamber, the Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce, Henderson Chamber of Commerce, and the Urban Chamber of Commerce Las Vegas. 

The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which became law in 2015, required the Secretary of DOT – in consultation with the National Advisory Committee on Travel and Tourism, State departments of transportation, and other appropriate public and private transportation stakeholders – to develop a National Travel and Tourism Infrastructure Strategic Plan, which includes policy recommendations to aid the industry.

DOT published the National Travel and Tourism Infrastructure Strategic Plan in January 2021, which is intended to inform policy and investment until 2024. However, as this plan was drafted, the pandemic and its impacts were still unfolding.

The TOURISM Act would update the National Travel and Tourism Infrastructure Strategic Plan to develop an immediate-term and long-term strategy for DOT and other agencies to use infrastructure investments to revive the travel and tourism industry and the overall travel and tourism economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In February, Rosen was named Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s newly formed Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion.

Earlier this year, Senator Rosen joined her colleagues in sending a letter to Commerce Secretary Raimondo requesting that the Secretary work with the Administration and the Tourism Policy Council (TPC), to update the Department of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism Strategy (NTTS) to account for the impacts of COVID-19.

###

Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, during a hearing of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) questioned Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III and General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the Department of Defense budget request for fiscal year 2022. Rosen asked about the critical MQ-9 mission at Nevada’s Creech Air Force Base and about protecting deployed U.S. troops from Iranian-backed militias. A transcript of the Senator’s exchange can be found below, and a video of the Senator’s exchange can be found here.

 ROSEN: Thank you, Chairman Reed, Ranking Member Inhofe, for holding this hearing. I’d like to thank the witnesses for your service to our great nation. Thank you for being here today. You know, right before the break, Senator Cramer was talking to you about our ISR requirements and his concerns, and I am concerned as well about the MQ-9. So, Secretary Austin, the MQ-9 Reaper, I don’t have to tell you, is critical to supporting our current intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) requirements. 

A key part of the MQ-9 architecture is the mission at Nevada’s Creech Air Force Base. Last year, CENTCOM commander, General McKenzie, included additional MQ-9 funding at the top of his unfunded priorities, and in April, he told this committee of the MQ-9’s importance and his need for more of them, not fewer. 

The Air Force today still lacks the ISR capacity to meet Combatant Commanders’ requirements contained in the 2018 National Defense Strategy. Despite this, the Department has previously proposed cutting this platform – their most cost-effective – without a program of record to replace it, which would further risk widening the ISR capability gap General Milley talked about. 

So, Secretary Austin, what is the Department’s plan for the MQ-9? And given its importance, cost effectiveness, and the requirement from Combatant Commanders for more ISR assets, why has the Air Force cut funding for this program without a program of record to replace it?

AUSTIN: Thank you, Senator. I think you heard General Milley talk earlier about the way Combatant Commanders view ISR. Having been a Combatant Commander in a former life, I can tell you I agree with him. There is never enough ISR. I will always want more. The Air Force has committed to taking off a number of lines of ISR, but they’re not reducing the tails, the aircraft that go with those lines. What they’re doing is making sure they upgrade and modernize their aircraft where possible and so that they can network the aircraft better. So, the number of tails is not being reduced. The number of lines is being reduced slightly.

ROSEN: And so, can you get to us some information about that so we know what the program of record will be going forward and how it can impact us?

AUSTIN: Absolutely. 

ROSEN: Thank you. I appreciate that. I’d like to move on to talking a little bit about Iranian aggression, how we combat that, because Iranian-backed militias, of course, are increasingly targeting U.S. installations and our service members in Iraq via rocket and drone attacks. Iran continues to be the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism and a threat to U.S., allied interests all across the world via its ballistic missile program and its support for terrorist proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, KH, AAH, and many others. And so, according to the recently released Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community, and I quote, “Iranian-supported Iraqi Shia militias will continue to pose the primary threat to U.S. personnel in Iraq.”

Secretary Austin and General Milley, with the constant threat to U.S. and coalition forces in the Middle East, posed by Iran and Iranian-backed militia groups, what are we doing to counter them, and how are we proactively protecting our forces and personnel? 

Do we have what we need to do that and prevent them, prevent these militias and terrorists from targeting our U.S. troops in the region?

AUSTIN: We certainly continue to demand that Iran cease its malicious behavior in the region, in terms of its support of the Iranian-backed Shia militia groups, and we demand that they cease providing them, you know, modernized equipment so that they can conduct these kinds of attacks. We’re doing everything within our power, within our capability to make sure that our troops that are forward-deployed have adequate protection. We’re engaging the Iraqi leadership to make sure the Iraqi leadership does what’s necessary to protect, help protect our citizens who are there to help the Iraqi government. 

MILLEY: So I would say, in addition to everything the Secretary said, is think offense-defense. 

So in terms of defense, the force protection of the force, the disposition of exactly where they’re at, how many they’re at, what’s the hardening of those sites, we’re doing all of those measures. In addition to that, we have missile, not missile defense, but air defense capabilities, C-RAMs, counter rocket and mortar, and counter UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) systems that were put in place. Those have been proven quite effective actually against some of the Shia militia group capabilities. We’re going to continue to reinforce all of that. 

On the offense side, I won’t discuss it here, but I can discuss it in some detail in a classified session as to what we can do, what we’re prepared to do and what we have already done. All of that in combination, we think, is mitigating the risk. It certainly doesn’t reduce it to zero. It’s a dangerous environment, we all recognize that. But we’ve got to continue to work by, with and through the Iraqi government because they’re the first line of defense for the protection of our forces in their country.

ROSEN: Well, thank you. I just want to be sure that we have assets on the ground to defend American installations in Iraq and Syria, and other places in the Middle East. 

MILLEY: We do. We absolutely do. 

ROSEN: Thank you.

###

Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Inhofe

Yesterday, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) senior member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, questioned witnesses at an EPW hearing entitled: PFAS: the View from Affected Citizens and States.

 

Witnesses included: Joanne Stanton, Co-founder, Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water; James Kenney, Cabinet Secretary, New Mexico Environment Department; G. Tracy Mehan III, Executive Director of Government Affairs, American Water Works Association; Scott Mandirola, Deputy Secretary for External Affairs, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.

 

Click here to watch Inhofe’s full remarks.

 

Inhofe: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I appreciate this, and of course, I used to chair this committee, and we have been addressing this for a long period of time, and we haven’t found the solutions yet. I think we’re kind of intending to talk around it. I can remember back when the FAA didn’t just require commercial airlines or airports to have available, PFAS [based firefighting foam], but also required them to use it. Now, that’s no longer the case; that was changed in 2018 with FAA reauthorization. Even though it’s not required, they are still using it, and I think we all agree that that’s what’s happening right now. So, we know the FAA, DOD, everyone is researching it and trying to get a solution; they don’t have a solution yet, and that’s the problem. I can’t help but think they are arriving at solutions by now because this has been going on for a long period of time.

So, I guess, Mr. Mandirola, I would just ask you, are you aware of any PFAS-free foams that are proven to be as effective and fast-acting as PFAS-based foams?  I am reading that question to make sure I get it right because I expect an answer from you.

Mandirola: Obviously, my specialty is water quality and environmental protection. I am not a fire-fighting expert, but I have participated, listened in, on a number of PFAS-related presentations. I am, personally, not aware of any replacement that’s as effective as AFFF.

Inhofe: You know, I’m not either. I have looked, and of course, we have had a lot of these hearings, and we have a lot of experts, and that’s kind of the reality of today.

Mr. Mehan, as you know, there are hundreds of PFAS in existence, and they are all of diverse compounds. Some are liquids, some are gases, and just an unlimited number that are out there, so a lot of people are supporting the lumping of all PFAS into a single regulated class. But those proposals, some of them, are misguided because they don’t take into account the diverse nature of these chemicals. So, I think you are in a position to respond to the question. Would you discuss why efforts to regulate PFAS as one single class would not be the preferred way of doing it, or would be difficult if not impossible to do?

Mehan: Thank you, Senator.

Well, you could do it, but it wouldn’t be prudent. You couldn’t do it so much with an MCL, you would have to use a treatment technique, which would then pretty much push everybody, which is pretty costly treatment technologies. I think the discussion that was just had about the cost to rate payers indicates one of the problems with going after the whole class. If you look at our written testimony at the bottom of page nine, we just costed out doing two, the two legacy, PFOA and PFOS. I think, you know, we are talking three billion, if you start at the EPA level. If you start using the standards that some of the states are using, at the more stricter level, you get the 38 billion, and that’s just capital cost for two. If you start adding in O&M and disposal and waste management, those costs get up to a billion annually. If you are doing three, four, five, six hundred, just plug in the numbers into the equation, and the numbers become quite staggering. Whether it’s using granular or activated carbon, or to go beyond just say, three or four PFAS compounds, then you are into ion exchange and some very expensive treatments. There are tradeoffs to be faced, and AWWA, is I believe, the wise course of action, is to follow the procedures in the Safe Drinking Water Act and the ’96 amendments, which as I said before are science-based, data-driven and risk-focused. That’s the prudent way to do it, and it attends to the relative risk issues. You know, we have got a new lead copper rule coming. I saw where Cincinnati is going to increase water rate three point something percent this year, and 5.5 percent for the next four years just to deal with lead and copper service line removal. Prudence may sound like a tame, conservative word, but I think it is the right word to use when talking about addressing PFAS as an environment and public health issue.

Inhofe: Thank you, Mr. Mehan, and thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)