Ranking Member Carper, EPW Democrats Stand with Community Leaders in Calling for an EPA Guided by Science

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Just one week ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, stood with his Democratic colleagues as well as conservationists, medical professionals, faith leaders, scientists and concerned mothers to highlight the importance of having an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guided by sound science in order to protect the health of the American people.

Since the agency’s creation in 1970 under Republican President Richard Nixon, the EPA has set common sense standards based on extensive scientific research in order to protect all Americans and the communities in which they live. ‎Yesterday, Senator Carper reaffirmed Democrats’ commitment to that long, bipartisan tradition. 

“We need an EPA that listens to doctors – that listens to scientists, rather than special interests when it comes to setting crucial health standards to clean our air, clean our water and protect us from toxic chemicals,” Senator Carper said. “An EPA that ignores sound science puts our children’s health at risk. Indeed, it puts all of our health at risk.”

Ranking Member Carper was joined by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), as well as Collin O’Mara, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation; Dr. Samantha Ahdoot, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine; David McCabe, Senior Scientist with the Clean Air Task Force; and Trisha Sheehan and Kay Mills with the Moms Clean Air Force.

The Environmental Protection Agency was established by Republican President Richard Nixon in 1970 to protect human health and the environment – air, water and land. Over its more than 40 year history, the EPA has played a critical role in establishing national standards for harmful pollutants and toxins using the most recent scientific and medical data available. The nonpartisan work of the EPA’s career scientists has established the agency as a world-leading scientific and public health agency.

Video of the full event can be found here.