AOC: Republicans ‘Want to Defend the “Economic Right” for a Company to Poison ... the American People’

Ocasio Cortez We ve ░░░░░░░░ a lot today I ░░░░░░░░ like to bring this ░░░░░░░░ a little bit down ░░░░░░░░ Earth about and make ░░░░░░░░ more about the people ░░░░░░░░ we re here to ░░░░░░░░ I m a congresswoman ░░░░░░░░ The Bronx and Queens ░░░░░░░░ represent a community that ░░░░░░░░ some of the highest ░░░░░░░░ asthma rates in the ░░░░░░░░ States And when we ░░░░░░░░ this conversation about how ░░░░░░░░ threaten economic prosperity and ░░░░░░░░ jotted it down earlier ░░░░░░░░ I couldn t even ░░░░░░░░ that I heard it ░░░░░░░░ economic prosperity quote is ░░░░░░░░ number one driver of ░░░░░░░░ air and clean water ░░░░░░░░ though our rivers were ░░░░░░░░ I mean our rivers ░░░░░░░░ forests were clean and ░░░░░░░░ before a single factory ░░░░░░░░ constructed in this country ░░░░░░░░ is the state of ░░░░░░░░ I want us to ░░░░░░░░ clear about that Now ░░░░░░░░ we hear people use ░░░░░░░░ term economic prosperity I ░░░░░░░░ folks to know at ░░░░░░░░ what that is a ░░░░░░░░ screen for is a ░░░░░░░░ otherwise known as profit ░░░░░░░░ Street profit very often ░░░░░░░░ Administrator Regan you ve ░░░░░░░░ accused of sabotaging here ░░░░░░░░ economic prosperity of this ░░░░░░░░ for enforcing and introducing ░░░░░░░░ about chemicals that this ░░░░░░░░ itself has investigated such ░░░░░░░░ PFAS I d like ░░░░░░░░ us to dig into ░░░░░░░░ a little bit PFAS ░░░░░░░░ a chemical byproduct of ░░░░░░░░ it s a chemical ░░░░░░░░ s in almost everything ░░░░░░░░ pans workout gear fire ░░░░░░░░ foam What are some ░░░░░░░░ the health consequences that ░░░░░░░░ have seen as a ░░░░░░░░ of elevated levels of ░░░░░░░░ in everyday for everyday ░░░░░░░░ REGAN Well you know ░░░░░░░░ range from various types ░░░░░░░░ cancers death Ocasio Cortez ░░░░░░░░ hmm REGAN these carcinogenic ░░░░░░░░ are wreaking havoc on ░░░░░░░░ all across the country ░░░░░░░░ Cortez We ve we ░░░░░░░░ had people from PFAS ░░░░░░░░ especially PFAS affected communities ░░░░░░░░ have had fertility issues ░░░░░░░░ that correct REGAN Yes ░░░░░░░░ Cortez Testicular cancer REGAN ░░░░░░░░ Ocasio Cortez Is that ░░░░░░░░ Developmental delays in children ░░░░░░░░ that is that consistent ░░░░░░░░ with with what you ░░░░░░░░ seen REGAN Yes Ocasio ░░░░░░░░ Thyroid issues increased risk ░░░░░░░░ cancer correct REGAN Yes ░░░░░░░░ Cortez And that those ░░░░░░░░ those kids those parents ░░░░░░░░ are struggling to conceive ░░░░░░░░ that s who we ░░░░░░░░ to That s who ░░░░░░░░ answer to Correct Administrator ░░░░░░░░ REGAN Absolutely Ocasio Cortez ░░░░░░░░ American people Now I ░░░░░░░░ to name something This ░░░░░░░░ t just economic prosperity ░░░░░░░░ are people and organizations ░░░░░░░░ companies responsible for this ░░░░░░░░ and 3M are two ░░░░░░░░ the largest corporations that ░░░░░░░░ responsible for PFAS dumping ░░░░░░░░ the United States Is ░░░░░░░░ correct REGAN Yes Ocasio ░░░░░░░░ Did they know that ░░░░░░░░ chemicals were potentially toxic ░░░░░░░░ that correct REGAN We ░░░░░░░░ they did Ocasio Cortez ░░░░░░░░ we yet there are ░░░░░░░░ here of this committee ░░░░░░░░ want to defend the ░░░░░░░░ unquote economic right for ░░░░░░░░ company to poison its ░░░░░░░░ the American people Now ░░░░░░░░ we talk about economic ░░░░░░░░ if you re a ░░░░░░░░ in the South Bronx ░░░░░░░░ you are a mom ░░░░░░░░ rural Pennsylvania near a ░░░░░░░░ dumping site who comes ░░░░░░░░ when you get cancer ░░░░░░░░ have a medical bill ░░░░░░░░ pay Who comes out ░░░░░░░░ from from that PFAS ░░░░░░░░ The CEO of DuPont ░░░░░░░░ that mom So when ░░░░░░░░ talk about the bills ░░░░░░░░ the prosperity that gets ░░░░░░░░ from here and who ░░░░░░░░ to pay that we ░░░░░░░░ to understand a very ░░░░░░░░ economic concept called externalities ░░░░░░░░ The cost of pollution ░░░░░░░░ cost of poisoning that ░░░░░░░░ not factored into the ░░░░░░░░ margin of the corporation ░░░░░░░░ s actually wreaking havoc ░░░░░░░░ this planet And when ░░░░░░░░ talk about issues like ░░░░░░░░ change it is at ░░░░░░░░ core an issue of ░░░░░░░░ Because ExxonMobil and all ░░░░░░░░ these oil companies can ░░░░░░░░ to burn this planet ░░░░░░░░ a crisp because it ░░░░░░░░ them a pile of ░░░░░░░░ Now Administrator Regan I ░░░░░░░░ to I want to ░░░░░░░░ you because in the ░░░░░░░░ attacks that you have ░░░░░░░░ in this hearing I ░░░░░░░░ that you have spent ░░░░░░░░ entire time and your ░░░░░░░░ federal service UNKNOWN FEMALE ░░░░░░░░ you Your time is ░░░░░░░░ I appreciate it this ░░░░░░░░ Ocasio Cortez protecting families ░░░░░░░░ being poisoned UNKNOWN FEMALE ░░░░░░░░ you Ocasio Cortez And ░░░░░░░░ want to thank you ░░░░░░░░ that.”
REGAN: “Thank you.”