Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas Attacks the EPA

Commentary by Ted Beringer

Northeast Director of the Kansas Wildlife Federation (KWF)

It is an unfortunate reality that Senator Pat Roberts, based upon his comments in a letter to the Kansas Wildlife Federation and the Kansas City Star (Nov 12, 2014), could have lived in Kansas his entire political life and come to the conclusion that clean water and air are a threat to the people of Kansas.

He has chosen to shuffle along with six other powerful senators across the country in an attempt to force the country to ignore science and embrace the idea that the Environmental Protection Agency is somehow harming us: Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Orrin Hatch of Utah, Thad Cochran of Mississippi, and Bob Corker of Tennessee. Being from energy producing states, their motivation is to protect business as usual, even if it harms the country’s air, water & climate. The collective comments these senators have made in attacks on the EPA have been refuted at every turn. Even China has recently agreed to make significant reductions in planned carbon emissions. It is important to hold every one of these senators scientifically accountable for their expressed intention of gutting the EPA as they assume positions of power 2015.

My comments are not necessarily those of the KWF.