There has been a lot going on in Washington. With impeachment taking center stage and the future of democracy on the line, we might be forgiven for missing one detail with big implications. The most recent budget proposal is expected to pass and avoid another government shutdown, but it does so at a cost.

There are now over 1,400 communities with confirmed PFAS contamination, a number that affects millions of Americans. Over 300 military sites also have PFAS red flags. Every single day, more individuals and families discover that they could be putting themselves at risk every time they turn on the tap and have been at risk for their whole lives.

Instead of protecting its citizens, Congress failed to include three key provisions that account for PFAS initiatives. The 2020 budgetwill not include language that restricts PFAS discharge into water supplies by manufactures, nor does it restrict water utilities and the amount of PFAS levels. Most crucially, it fails to identify PFAS as a harmful chemical and so make polluters financially responsible for clean-up under the Safe Drinking Water Act and Superfund Law.

There are more bills that should see discussions and even a vote early next year that address similar provisions in new legislation, but many agree that the best chance to turn these measures into law has passed.

We know enough, we care enough, but as a nation, we are not doing enough to protect ourselves and our loved ones from PFAS. Contact your representatives in the House of Representatives and urge them to pass HR 535 in January of 2020. We need legislative muscle in Washington to reflect the anger and alarm we experience in our homes and in our communities.

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