As part of the wave of anti-public health bills that are oozing from what it is supposed to be the People’s House (not the Polluter’s House), H.R. 2681, the Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act passed 262 to 161. The vote fell largely on party lines, with 25 Democrats voting for the bill, and two Republicans voting against. H.R. 2681 is designed to allow cement plants to keep burning toxic garbage such as plastics and tires for electricity minus the technology needed and available to reduce the amount of mercury that enters our waterways.

However, in North Carolina, there were some bright spots. One of the two Republicans to vote against was Walter Jones from the 3rd district of North Carolina. Not only is the vote against the party line, it is also a change from how he voted on a federal budget (H.R. 1) amendment that denied EPA to direct funding towards implementing a mercury standard for cement plants.

We are also pleased that Rep. Mike McIntyre (NC 07) voted against this bill, despite the fact that he voted for the TRAIN Act, a bill that would delay mercury standards for coal-fired power plants two weeks ago. Larry Kissell, joined 24 other Democrats and voted for H.R. 2681.

The rest of the delegation voted along party lines. Check out how your member of Congress voted on OpenCongress.org. Not sure who your member of Congress is? You can also find that out on OpenCongress.org.

We encourage to call your member of Congress and thank them if they voted to protect our waterways from mercury (a “No’ vote) or if they voted to allow more mercury into our water by voting for H.R. 2681.

Please call the Congressional Switchboard, ask for your member of Congress and leave a message either thanking them for voting against H.R. 2681, or express your disappointment if they voted for it and ask them to please vote for protecting our waterways, our food and our public health from the impacts of mercury pollution.