Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Hillary Clinton and Environmental Justice

Will Senator Hillary Clinton address environmental justice during her presidential campaign? Will her recognition or lack thereof be a litmus test among environmental justice activists for their support? Does she want or need that support? Does her husband's Presidential Executive Order on Environmental Justice give her a pass? Senator Clinton introduced legislation with Barack Obama during the last Congress to address environmental and health issues in vulnerable communities. They have not reintroduced the bill in the 110th Congress.

Now that they are competitors for the presidency, do not expect them to cosponsor this legislation again. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) introduced the Healthy Communities Act of 2005 on November 17, 2005. The bill was cosponsored by Senator Barack Obama (D-IL). The bill establishes an advisory committee, calls for an environmental health report card, establishes health action zones that qualify for grants, calls for environmental health research, and calls for environmental health workforce development. The bill did not address or resolve the Sandoval problem.

No comments: