Team Beltway Weighs In: Clean Water Protection Act Reaches 151 Cosponsors

By J.W. Randolph

The federal Clean Water Protection Act (HR 1310) has reached 151 cosponsors in just under 4 months of cosponsor recruitment, Appalachian Voices ‘Team Beltway’ is pleased to announce. During the last Congress, it took 21 months to reach the same goal.

This shows that our grassroots work across the country to educate the public about mountaintop removal mining has had a positive impact on our efforts in Congress.

We are working diligently with our champions to set up hearings for the CWPA in the House and for the companion bill, the Appalachia Restoration Act (S 696), in the Senate. In the House, the CWPA will go to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment, and then on to the full Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Appalachian Voices has played a crucial role in garnering the support of 15 bipartisan members of the Subcommittee, and 25 bipartisan members of the full T&I Committee. In the Senate, S 696 will go to the Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife, and then the full Committee on the Environment and Public Works (EPW). Appalachian Voices has garnered 6 bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate, including 5 members of the full EPW Committee.

Also his month, “Team Beltway” is excited to announce the arrival of our very talented intern team of Stanback Legislative Fellow Bethany Hill from Duke University and Sarah Hostyk of Appalachian State to Washington DC. In their first few days in the District, the team has already picked up a cosponsor of the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 1310) in Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-12), and have begun leading their own meetings with key members of both the House and Senate. Their presence is critical in allowing us to increase our capacity to reach out to more Members of Congress than we ever have before.