NEED ACTION FOR THE
UPCOMING CLEAN WATER RESTORATION ACT HEARINGS
The next two weeks is a critical time period for the Clean
Water Restoration Act (H.R. 2421/S.1870). Congress has scheduled two hearings
[April 9th in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and April 16th
in the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee] to discuss the
merits of the Act. These are the first congressional hearings that will focus
solely on the Clean Water Restoration Act. Congress will hear testimony from
both supporters and opponents of the bill (opponents include mining interests, the
oil industry, chemical manufacturers, sewage plant operators, the well-financed
Farm Bureau, and other industry groups). We have been told that these industry
lobbyists are actively mobilizing their troops in preparation for these
hearings, so we need to get even more active now.
The number one priority for the House hearing is to get
supportive committee members - those who are co-sponsors or otherwise indicated
they are pro-clean water - to commit to coming to the hearing and speaking up
in favor of the Restoration Act; on the Senate side, we not only need to get supporters
to the hearing, but swing Senators who provide key votes for the bill. In
addition to making the calls described below yourself, please send this message
to other colleagues who can make a call, and consider sending an action alert
to your organization's members to make calls as well. The more constituents
Congress hear from the better.
Here are some quick things you can do NOW that will pay
Huge dividends later:
(1) If your U.S. Representative is on the U.S. House
Transportation & Infrastructure Committee (T & I) and they are listed
below, they require special attention. We need you and your organization's
members to call their office and urge them to not only support the bill, but
also to attend the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee hearing
on the 16th. If we want the bill to pass the House this year - and we do! - it is crucial that we have a good turnout of supportive
House Members at this very important House T & I Committee hearing.
Call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to
speak to your House Member's office. A sample phone script follows the list of
targeted House members below. Tailor the script as you see fit to meet your
needs.
Targeted House T & I Committee Members (co-sponsors
and likely supporters are listed in bold):
CA05 Matsui, Doris
CA10 Tauscher, Ellen
CA11 McNerney, Jerry
CA37 Richardson, Laura
CA38 Napolitano, Grace
CA51 Filner, Bob
DC Norton, Eleanor Holmes
FL03 Brown, Corrine
HI02 Hirono, Mazie
IA01 Braley, Bruce
IL03 Lipinski, Dan
IL12 Costello, Jerry
IL15 Johnson, Timothy
MA08 Capuano, Michael
MD01 Gilchrest, Wayne
MD07 Cummings, Elijah
ME02 Michaud, Michael
MI03 Ehlers, Vernon
MO03 Carnahan, Russ
MS04 Taylor, Gene
NC11 Shuler, Heath
NJ02 LoBiondo, Frank
NJ13 Sires, Albio
NY01 Bishop, Timothy
NY08 Nadler, Jerrold
NY19 Hall, John
NY24 Arcuri, Michael
NY27 Higgins, Brian
OR04 DeFazio, Peter
PA04 Altmire, Jason
PA06 Gerlach, Jim
PA10 Carney, Chris
PA17 Holden, Tim
PA19 Platts, Todd
TN09 Cohen, Steve
TX30 Johnson, E.B.
WA02 Larsen, Rick
WA03 Baird, Brian
WA08 Reichert, Dave
WI06 Petri, Thomas
WI08 Kagen, Steve
SAMPLE PHONE SCRIPT:
FOR THOSE HOUSE
MEMBERS LISTED IN BOLD (co-sponsors and likely supporters):
Thank you for your support of the Clean Water Restoration
Act (or of the
Clean Water Act if not yet a cosponsor.) We are calling to
ask that Rep.
_________ attend the very important T&I Committee
hearing on the Restoration
Act, HR 2421, that will be held on April 16th. This is a
very important hearing, as it will focus even more specifically on the bill
itself than last year's hearings on clean water. The Restoration Act is a top legislative
priority for my organization and many others, so we really need
Rep. __________ to be there to
speak up on behalf of the bill and clean water.
As you know, this is going to be a long hearing with over
20 witnesses divided among 4 panels. We are hoping Rep. ___________ will be
there at the beginning to make an opening statement, and will commit to coming
back some time later in the day to ask questions of
one of the panels. It is going to be a long day, and we want to make sure
Chairman Oberstar has some supporters there who can work with him to advocate for
the bill. We know no one will be able to be there all day, which is why we are
hoping Rep.
__________ could come back after the start of the hearing
for just one of the panels and speak up forcefully for clean water and passage
of the Restoration Act this year.
Is Rep. ____________ going to be on the hearing? Will
he/she speak up in favor of passing the Restoration Act? Is there anything we
can do to help?
FOR THOSE HOUSE MEMBERS NOT IN BOLD (not yet supporters):
We are calling because of the hearing on the Clean Water Restoration Act coming
up in the full T&I Committee on April 16th. We are wondering whether Rep.
____________ is planning on attending the hearing and if so wanted to let you
know that the Restoration Act is a top legislative priority for my organization
and many others in the state.
This is a very important hearing, as it will focus even
more specifically on the bill itself than last year's hearings on clean water.
We think the bill needs to be passed by Congress this year.
What is Rep. _______________ position on the bill at this
point? Will Rep.
___________________ speak in favor of the bill, or at
least in favor of Congress acting to make sure all waters covered by the Act, prior
to the bad Supreme Court decision in 2006, remain protected from pollution? Are
there any questions you have that we could help answer?
(2) On the Senate side we need calls being made to both
Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Senator John Warner (R-VA). Both are on the
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and have not signed on as
co-sponsors to the bill. Indications from their staff are that they are
supportive but need to hear from more constituents who support S. 1870, in
order to take it to the next level and co-sponsor. If you are from
Remember to ask your organization's members to make calls
as well.
(3) Even if your Representative
and Senators are not on these committees, we still need your help. Call the
Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your U.S.
Representative and Senators' offices. Tell them in no uncertain terms to
support the Clean Water Restoration Act. If they are already co-sponsors, thank
them for their support. Click on www.thomas.gov and follow the prompts to check
to see if your U.S. Representative and Senators are
co-sponsors of CWRA (H.R. 2421/S. 1870).
Thank you again for your help at this critical juncture.
Please report back on your calls and with any new information you receive to info@cleanwaternetwork.org.
Your reports help the Network and its partners identify where to spend our
energies and resources.
Thank you very much again for everything you do to protect
our nation's waters.
Natalie U. Roy
Executive Director