WASHINGTON – Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Joe Barton, R-Texas, today made the following statement during the Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee hearing entitled, “TSCA and Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic Chemicals”:

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’d like to say some words about our newest ranking member of the subcommittee, my good friend from Kentucky, Mr. Whitfield. I specifically asked him to take over for Congressman Radanovich because of Mr. Radanovich’s situation with the death of his wife and the requirements that he take care of his young son. He didn’t have the capability or the time to give the ranking membership his full attention and I understand that.

“I asked Mr. Whitfield to take on the duties of this subcommittee’s ranking membership because it is my expectation, Mr. Chairman, that at some point in time you and Chairman Waxman intend to move legislation reforming TSCA and I wanted my very best and experienced person at the helm, and that’s Ed Whitfield. He’s worked in both the majority and minority on this subcommittee and knows the issues well. He knows also the personalities well and he has the confidence of both sides of the aisle. It was not serendipity that Ed Whitfield got asked to take this ranking membership and I think it speaks to his capabilities that he’s already hit the ground running.

“I might also say, Mr. Chairman, that this is an important hearing. If you just look out in the audience, you see former general counsels, committee chiefs of staff for the committee and they don’t come cheap, Mr. Chairman. They’re here because it’s a big deal and it’s an important deal and speaks to your leadership that you’re taking on this complex issue.

“On the issue at hand, we understand that PBTs are extremely toxic and can be hazardous. We understand that they need to be closely monitored. We do have a witness from the Pellston working group that has done some ground-breaking research and if their research is correct, Mr. Chairman, there is a possibility that we can adopt a more flexible regulatory approach based on not only the definition of what is hazardous but what the risk is of that hazard. I’m looking forward to their testimony plus obviously the testimony of the other witnesses here.

“Congress does not normally do complex technical issues well. As Mr. Whitfield has pointed out, in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act last year, I don’t think it was intentional but we adopted a regulatory approach for lead that is basically zero-tolerance. Because of that, many products are no longer on the marketplace today that really didn’t have any potential harm to the population.

“In this case, I hope that we do listen to our panels and we do work together in a bipartisan fashion to move a bill, if that’s the wish of you and the Chairman, that encompasses the latest science and the latest data so that we get this one right.

“With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back."