Hearing Tees Up House Democrats' SDWA, PFAS Post-Election Priorities

摘要

House Democrats used a recent hearing to tee up early signals of the post-election policy priorities they will push on overhauling the Safe Drinking Water Act's (SDWA) standard-setting process and seeking interim drinking water regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), though GOP lawmakers are urging restraint. At a July 28 hearing by the House Energy & Commerce Committee's environment panel titled "There's Something in the Water: Reforming Our Nation's Drinking Water Standards," Democrats argued that the standard-setting process under SDWA is broken, and called for revisions. They say 1996 amendments to the law have failed to prompt any new drinking water standards - except those explicitly required by Congress. But Republicans called for a slow approach to any overhaul, noting any significant changes to core environmental laws would require broad bipartisan support, and touted other drinking water rules and policies EPA has set. Just a few months before the November elections, Democrats appear to be teeing up SDWA's standard-setting process for an overhaul - potentially signaling one of their environmental priorities for the next Congress, in hopes that the Democrats will control both Houses and the White House to advance their agenda.