May, 06 2009, 12:00pm EDT
Kucinich Secures Victory for Northeast Ohio Children That Would Fund Lead Removal From Schools
WASHINGTON
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today won a victory to ensure that money will be available for schools to remove sources of lead in drinking water. His legislative language was included in a committee amendment to H.R. 2187, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act. Congressman Kucinich is a member of the Education and Labor Committee that passed the legislation today.
Schools in cities with older infrastructure, like Cleveland, are in special need of attention because their plumbing may still contain lead. However, newer buildings also contain potential sources of lead, including solder, pipe fittings, faucets, valves, meters, and any fixtures containing brass. The longer water remains in contact with lead plumbing, the more likely the lead can enter the water. That means that facilities with on again/off again water patterns, such as schools, are at a much greater risk of water contamination.
"Schools in Northeast Ohio have old infrastructure. When this legislation passes those schools will be able to secure funding to update their plumbing systems and remove the risk of lead contamination," added Kucinich.
Lead poisoning remains a serious concern both nationally and in Cleveland. In 2007, over 22% of children tested were found to have an elevated blood lead levels, according to the City of Cleveland. Children are particularly sensitive to lead contamination. Their bodies are developing and growing and absorb more lead than an adult body. Even at low levels of lead exposure, children can experience reduced I.Q., impaired learning and language skills, hearing loss, problems with attention span, and aggressive behavior that studies have linked to a higher likelihood of criminal activity. At greater levels, lead poisoning can also damage the brain and central nervous systems, interfering with learning and physical growth.
Dennis Kucinich is an American politician. A U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1997 to 2013, he was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2004 and 2008.
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While applauding the U.S. House of Representatives' bipartisan passage of a bill to ensure that "law enforcement and intelligence agencies can't do an end-run around the Constitution by buying information from data brokers" on Wednesday, privacy advocates highlighted that Congress is trying to extend and expand a long-abused government spying program.
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The House notably included an amendment forcing a wide range of individuals and businesses to cooperate with government spying operations but rejected an amendment that would have added a warrant requirement to the bill, which the Senate could vote on as soon as Thursday.
Noting those decisions on the FISA reauthorization legislation, Ruddock stressed that "today's vote is a victory but follows a recent loss and ongoing threat as that Section 702 bill moves to the Senate this week too."
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Kia Hamadanchy, senior policy counsel at ACLU, similarly said Wednesday that "the bipartisan passage of this bill is a flashing warning sign to the government that if it wants our data, it must get a warrant."
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As The Intercept's Ken Klippenstein and Daniel Boguslaw noted:
Since 2011, the U.N. Security Council has rejected the Palestinian Authority's request for full member status. On April 2, the Palestinian Observer Mission to the U.N. requested that the council once again take up consideration of its membership application. According to the first State Department cable, U.N. meetings since the beginning of April suggest that Algeria, China, Guyana, Mozambique, Russia, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, and Malta support granting Palestine full membership to the U.N. It also says that France, Japan, and Korea are undecided, while the United Kingdom will likely abstain from a vote.
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"Today is a mask-off moment for the Reactionary International and the parties, politicians, judges, journalists, foundations, think tanks, tech platforms, NGOs, activists, financiers, and entrepreneurs that comprise it," PI said.
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