Senate Democrats announced their Environment and Public Works (EPW) subcommittee rosters on March 3. Freshman Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth will serve as the top Democrat on the Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over drinking water and clean water policy.|
A former member of the House of Representatives, Duckworth was elected to the Senate in November and is one of two freshmen members of the EPW Committee. As a member of the House, Duckworth proposed legislation last year that would establish a new federal grant program to help schools offset costs associated with lead testing and the replacement of lead pipes and plumbing fixtures with lead-free alternatives. The bill also would have required public water systems to monitor water in schools for lead.
Sen. Duckworth plans to continue combating lead in drinking water as the top Democrat on the Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee.
“We have a moral obligation to make sure our children’s drinking water is clean and safe,” Duckworth said in a statement. “I will do everything I can to ensure our water systems aren’t poisoning our children.”
Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) will chair the Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee, Republican leaders announced last month. The EPW Committee’s complete set of subcommittee rosters is available online.