FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10th, 2021
CONTACT
Cara Cook
Director of Programs, ANHE
cara@envirn.org
(585) 469-2383
Nurses Respond to Historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Package
[Washington, DC] (August 10th, 2021) – Today, the US Senate voted 69-30 to approve a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. In response to the passage of the legislation, the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments’ (ANHE) Executive Director, Katie Huffling, MS, RN, CNM, FAAN released the following statement:
“While the bipartisan infrastructure package is a necessary first step in providing much needed investments in clean energy, clean transportation, and water infrastructure, the deal falls far short of addressing crucial priorities for climate action. As the newly released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report emphasizes, in order to protect public health in the face of the climate crisis, we must swiftly address climate change and accelerate the transition to clean energy.
“The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments is supportive of some of the investments in the legislation, such as funding for electric school buses, climate resilience, and replacing lead service lines, however these funding levels are not nearly at the scope required to protect communities from harmful air and water pollution. Further, the legislation includes funding that would perpetuate combustion-based energy sources.
“As the Senate moves on to the budget process, nurses are urging members of Congress to make the big, bold, and ambitious investments in programs needed to tackle the climate crisis, achieve true environmental justice, and accelerate the transition to clean energy. Congress must invest in a healthier future for all.”
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The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments is the only national nursing organization focused solely on the intersection of health and the environment. The mission of the Alliance is to promote healthy people and healthy environments by educating and leading the nursing profession, advancing research, incorporating evidence-based practice, and influencing policy.
http://enviRN.org
