Oklahoma U.S. Sen.. Markwayne Mullin made it clear in a recent Senate hearing that states and municipalities should have the flexibility to direct their government funds without being burdened by what he sees as restrictive regulatory conditions.
He said too often, there are too many strings attached to the federal funding of water projects.
His remarks came before a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on drinking water systems and the implementation of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act.
“We all have issues facing us when it comes to clean water,” said the Republican Senator serving his first time in the Senate.
“Sometimes its policy related, sometimes its neglect, sometimes it’s a lack of funding. What we do know is one size does not fit all. We need to give municipalities, states flexibility to allow them to make decisions for their unique areas….”
Mullin is the Ranking Member of the Chemical, Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight Subcommittee.
“When we throw a tremendous amount of funding – $55 billion is a lot of money…and then we put restrictions on it, I think what we hear from all of our witnesses is, ‘We know where it needs to go, we need the flexibility to do so.’
The Senator said it is imperative to make sure the federal money goes as close to the states and the individuals providing the service “and give them the tools to do it without the restrictions which happens so often with federal funding.
Watch Mullin’s full EPW remarks here.
