WASHINGTON D.C. – Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) released the following statement today after the House passed H.R. 1029, the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2015, which holds the EPA’s Science Advisory Board accountable when creating laws that will seriously impact families and small businesses around the country.

“Our environment is a priority — not only for Americans today, but for those to come long after us. In recent years, their regulations have been created behind closed doors, with little concern for the financial burden they have on Eastern Washington families and small business owners. This bill requires the EPA’s Science Advisory Board to consult the people who will be impacted the most, requiring peer review and constructive conversation. Through peer-reviewed science, the EPA can set standards that will not only regulate our environmental concerns, but also grant flexibility to American entrepreneurs.  I will continue my efforts to hold the EPA accountable and empower thousands of Americans in Eastern Washington and across the country who have been harmed by unnecessary regulations.”

The EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2015 ensures that uncertainties in scientific conclusions are clearly communicated and allows the expert panel to focus on the science, rather than partisan policy debates. The legislation also recognizes the important role science should play in policy debates and provides safeguards to give the public confidence in science.