This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation authored by Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. to strengthen environmental justice laws as part of the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act. H.R. 3923, the Environmental Justice Act of 2019, was introduced by Dr. Ruiz in August 2019 and would require federal agencies to consider and mitigate environmental justice impacts of agency actions and strengthen legal protections for those affected by environmental injustices. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the companion bill in the U.S. Senate.
Dr. Ruiz on House Floor
Click here to watch Dr. Ruiz's remarks on the House floor Wednesday.
"Let me be clear: Having clean water to drink and clean air to breathe is not a privilege just for the affluent few -- it is a right and common good for everyone," said Dr. Ruiz on the House floor. "That's why I am glad my bill, H.R. 3923 the Environmental Justice Act of 2019, is passing the House this week as part of the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act. My bill will strengthen protections for vulnerable populations, give impacted communities the ability to hold big corporations and government accountable, and provide needed funds to mitigate and prevent future instances of environmental injustice."
"We cannot achieve economic justice or social justice in this country without simultaneously addressing environmental justice," Senator Booker said. "Clean air and clean water shouldn't be luxuries for the privileged, yet every day, communities of color, low income communities, and indigenous communities disproportionately face environmental hazards and harmful pollutants. This reality has largely been ignored and the affected communities have been left without the legal tools to protect their rights. The Environmental Justice Act of 2019 is an important first step in returning power to these communities."
BACKGROUND:
Dr. Ruiz has been a consistent advocate in Congress for environmental justice, frequently bringing together tribal, state, and federal government officials to collaborate in order to prevent future environmental injustices in the East Valley and across America.
In May, Dr. Ruiz introduced the Environmental Justice COVID-19 Act, which would provide $50 million for EPA's Environmental Justice Small Grants Program, the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement, and the Community Action for a Renewed Environment Grant Program with the purpose of monitoring pollution in or near communities experiencing environmental injustices and investigating the disproportionate impacts of the COVID--19 pandemic on those communities.
On Thursday, the House passed H.R. 4447, the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, which included priorities from Rep. Ruiz's Environmental Justice Act. H.R. 4447 would make long-overdue reforms to U.S. energy policy and authorize major investments in the transition to a low-carbon future. It includes programs to develop and deploy renewable and distributed energy resources; improve the efficiency of homes and businesses; electrify our transportation sector; modernize the grid and enhance its resiliency; prioritize the needs of environmental justice communities; reduce carbon pollution from industrial and traditional sources; and much more. Taken together, these measures provide a path towards modernizing our energy system while taking an important step in tackling the climate crisis and growing our economy.