Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
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Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
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Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
Title sequence
Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
Paul Duke, Cokie Roberts, and Linda Wertheimer outline the topics on program defeats for Reagan administration in Congress on Environmental Protection Agency and rejection of Reagan s nominee for Arms Control chief, Kenneth Adelman, steps toward solid Social Security reform and Bipartisan progress toward jobs program the bright spots of the week, increased influence of women in electorate leading to pro-woman reforms in Congress.
Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
Paul Duke introduces report on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) controversy, Congress accusing agency of favoritism toward large corporations who pollute.
Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
Gorsuch, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) director testifying to Congressional committee. Senator Pat Moynihan (D New York) You have the kindness to understand that it is this Committee that passed that legislation and dedicated those revenues. And we expect you to speak to the matter with us. Anne Gorsuch, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) director, With getting back to the substance of your question, proper implementation of Superfund, we have every intention of using those monies that are appropriated by this Congress for that purpose. Senator Pat Moynihan (D New York) I would like to remind you that those amounts are continually being reduced at the behest of the administration. And when they do so, it is assumed they do it with your approval.
Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
Oct 15, 1981 Anne Gorsuch, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) director, I think that is well and good that people are prepared to give lip service to environmental goals. We intend to do more than that. We intend to go beyond mere rhetoric and go for results.
Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
Anne Gorsuch, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) director testifying to Congressional committee. the question at hand is the separation of powers outlined in the Constitution. In simple terms, the Congress has the power to enact and oversee legislation. The Executive branch has the responsibility for carrying out the laws which you have enacted. If the Congress should obtain sensitive documents found in open law enforcement files, by definition the Executive branch loses control of such documents and Congress becomes at the very least, an implicit and silent partner in the actual administration or prosecution of the laws of the land. Representative John Dingell (D Michigan) in committee There is no attempt by the Congress here, or by this sub-committee, or by this chairman, or indeed by any member of this committee to intrude into the day to day functioning or the enforcement of laws and action by EPA. Anne Gorsuch, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) director testifying to Congressional committee, your subpoena, as well as your closing remarks and your charge to my general counsel, Robert Perry, both make crystal clear your belief that power of Congress to obtain documents cannot be denied or postponed under any circumstances I would now like to turn to the main issue, and inform you that sensitive documents found in open law enforcement files will not be made available to the sub-committee. Representative Bill Tauzin (D Louisiana) I want you to know that my opinion at this stage, and I think that it is unlikely to be changed, is that the withholding of this information constitutes a gross violation of this Congress s right to know and right to receive information from the Executive department.
Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
December 16, 1982. Representative Elliot Levitas (D Georgia) in debate on House Floor This is an issue that deals with the Constitution of the United States and the prerogatives of the Congress, a co-equal branch of government, to discharge one of its most important and solemn functions that of oversight and assuring that the laws of this land are being implemented according to the way they were intended.
Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
December 16, 1982. Representative Ron Paul (R Texas) in debate on House Floor I for one think it is very important that the Congress prevails under these circumstances. And that we vote on this issue rather than on the policies of whether Anne Gorsuch is doing a good job or not.
Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
December 16, 1982. Representative Gerald Solomon (R New York) the Committee s action fails to recognize that the President directed Mrs. Gorsuch to withhold those documents.
Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
DO NOT USE Newspaper headlines on issue.
Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
Feb. 15, 1983. Representative James Howard (D New Jersey) in committee, Last Thursday s news dispatches raised suspicions about the use of shredding machines installed in the office of the Hazardous Waste Enforcement Office of the Environmental Protection Agency. Allegations have been made that they may have been used to destroy copies or duplicates of documents which are under subpoena by this committee. Gene Lucero, Director of Office of Waste Programs Enforcement, The thing that I would like some recognition of is that it was not, or at least I will state to you, it was not procured for the purposes of destroying any of these documents. There were alternative sets Representative Elliot Levitas (D Georgia) At the very least, it s got to be one of the stupidest actions I have ever heard of that under the circumstances, for the first time to move a shredder into an office which was the office that this committee and other committees were looking to for documents, and after a subpoena had been issued and a Contempt of Congress voted for the first time in January of this year, for those shredders to appear and I cannot accept the fact that decision was made by some GS7 and nobody else in the agency knew. Representative James Howard (D New Jersey) It is a rather frustrating situation that we do have here. As the subcommittee, the committee, and Congress are denied papers which prevent the Congress from fulfilling its obligation to the people. And possibly the only way out would be then for the Congress through appropriations to deny or withhold funding for Superfund and such things, which unfortunately I believe may be just exactly what the administration and many people in the EPA want. It s a Catch 22 with two loses.
Lawmakers - 2/24/1983
Paul Duke discusses the shredding controversy. Reagan is changing personnel, but Anne Gorsuch is staying on at EPA. Reminiscent of Watergate conflict between Congress and Executive over information.