Today's vote on the 17 special interest environmental riders is a step in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go if we are to stop Congress' assault on public health and the environment.
Even with the elimination of the riders, the Republican budget still dismantles vital protections that keep our Nation healthy, safe, and secure. It still cuts funding for enforcement of environmental laws in half. America cannot protect the environment if we gut enforcement of antipollution laws.
As important as today's vote was, Congress' responsibility does not end here. Now, congressional Republicans must take the next steps and change their bill to fully protect public health and the environment. As we balance the budget in the interest of our children, we must not leave them a world that is more polluted and less livable.
William J. Clinton, Statement on Congressional Action on Proposed Environmental Legislation Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/220518