Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s hearing titled “Exposing EPA Efforts to Limit Chemicals Needed for Life-Saving Medical Devices and Other Essential Products.”

CHEMICALS CRUCIAL TO OUR WAY OF LIFE

“Boosting U.S. manufacturing is key to winning the future.

“For decades, we’ve been the best place to do business.

“We’ve done more than any other country to improve people’s lives thanks in large part to our leadership in industries like health care, energy, national security and technology, all of which rely heavily on chemical manufacturing and its supply chain.

“That includes medical devices, surgical equipment, heart valves for infants, and drinking water treatments.

“It includes protective gear for law enforcement and our troops, and it’s essential for building semiconductors, which are key to securing our competitive edge against countries like China.

“These products save lives, energy, and advance our standard of living, and they are all currently under threat by EPA.

BIDEN’S BURDENSOME REGULATIONS ARE CEDING U.S. LEADERSHIP TO CHINA

“A recent report found there to be ‘an ongoing decline in the growth rate of the demand for chemical products.’

“According to the report, this decline is the result of both rising competition from China and harmful regulations in the U.S. that are forcing businesses and jobs out of the country.

“President Biden’s systematic shutdown of American industry is increasing our cost of living and forcing us to rely on countries—like China—with worse environmental and human rights records.

“Just as we’re seeing with our auto sector, the policies of the Biden administration are making America poorer and China richer.

“The EPA is at the center of this regulatory attack.

“Many of the agency’s recent regulatory actions go far beyond what is reasonable to protect against adverse risks.

“For example, by delaying evaluations and policy decisions for new and existing chemicals, the EPA is creating expensive uncertainty for businesses and harming innovators.

“These regulations span multiple laws, and raise serious concerns regarding EPA’s motives, as well as the methods and models used to justify many of its decisions.”

THREAT OF UNSAFE SURGICAL SUPPLIES

“Like many of my colleagues, I am very concerned—for example—of how the EPA is trying to regulate the chemical used to sterilize approximately half of all medical devices and 95 percent of all surgical kits in the U.S.

EPA is taking steps to drastically restrict its use, which will significantly disrupt patient access to emergency care and threaten patient safety from hospital-born infections.

“The Food and Drug Administration has acknowledged the life-threatening consequences for patients if our health care system lacks adequate sterilization.

“It isn’t clear to us that EPA is listening.”

WORSE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND AMERICANS

“The reality is, many more of EPA’s proposed standards will create more harm than good.

“By all measures, America has significantly improved the nation’s air quality and enhanced people’s protections from pollution.

“Our environmental standards are among the best in the world.

“Despite this progress, however, the Biden EPA has moved ahead with these far-reaching regulatory attacks.

“The longer we continue down this path, the more jobs, innovation, and investment we will force out of the U.S, leaving an opening for more products and chemicals to come in from China, the largest polluter in the world with the worst environmental standards.

“We should be focusing on how we can make people’s lives better, not worse.

“I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today, who can shed light on how industry has been affected and how these efforts are limiting America’s ability to create and manufacture critical, often life-saving, products used every day.”