Basing our policies on science, not politics
Dear Friend,
Since President Trump took office, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is responsible for protecting our nation's environment, has turned a blind eye to science and is actively dismantling the tools the agency has used for decades to protect our environment.
As chair of the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations subcommittee, which oversees the EPA, I'm working to hold this agency accountable. This week, I asked four former EPA administrators to testify at a hearing we held on the future direction of the agency. All four former administrators, three of whom served under Republican presidents, agreed that the agency is on the wrong track.
As I told reporters after the hearing, nobody knows this agency better than the people who ran it. And the fact that all the former administrators agreed that we can't protect our environment or the public's health if the agency continues to ignore science, speaks volumes.
On Sunday, I spoke with MSNBC's Joy Reid about a disturbing new report by the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General that found undocumented migrants at several Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities across the country – including the ICE facility here in Aurora, Colorado – were not being properly cared for.
Three of the four facilities referenced in the report are run by private corporations. As I told Joy Reid during that interview, we shouldn't have private prisons housing these migrants. President Obama tried to shut these private prisons down, but President Trump reversed it. This latest report is yet another reason why we need to shut them down for good. If you're interested, you can watch part of my interview here.
Speaking of interviews, I am still shocked by President Trump's comments the other day in which he said - on national television - that he would allow a foreign government to interfere in our elections.
Remarks such as this – coming from the president of the United States – should scare us all. And it's one more reason why Congress must begin an impeachment inquiry immediately.
Congress has given this administration every opportunity to work with us as we fulfill our oversight responsibilities, but they have refused. This week, the House of Representatives voted to allow House committee leaders to sue the Trump administration in federal court to enforce a series of subpoenas.
I hope this sends a very clear message to the entire administration that Congress is not going to tolerate anyone's refusal to cooperate with our efforts to hold this administration accountable.
Finally, before you head off for the weekend, I wanted to remind you that on Monday we will have our fifth annual Senior Resource Fair at Denver's East High School. If you, or anyone you know, are interested in learning more about the programs and services that are available to seniors in our area, I hope you will join us for this great event.
Here's all of the details:
- WHAT: 5th Annual Resource Fair for Seniors and Caregivers
- DATE: Monday, June 17
- TIME: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM M.T.
- WHERE: East High School, 1600 City Park Esplanade, Denver, CO 80206
If you're interested, you can find a full list of the organizations that will be participating this year on our Facebook page. And if you do decide to attend, we just ask that you please RSVP by clicking here.
As always, if you have any questions about these, or any other issues, you can always contact my office at 303-844-4988, or visit my website at DeGette.house.gov where you can read my positions on various issues important to our community, and learn about the different ways my staff can assist you.
While you're there, please be sure to visit the "Contact" page and send me an email about what matters most to you and your family.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend. And to all of the dads out there, happy Father's Day!
Sincerely,
Diana DeGette
Member of Congress