Kelly, Shaheen, Collins Lead Bipartisan Letter to President Biden Urging Funding for PFAS Research & Remediation in FY2023 Budget Request

Today, U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) led a bipartisan letter with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) urging President Biden to prioritize robust funding to combat per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)  in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget request to Congress. Their letter asks for funding to support agencies and programs that will help close gaps in PFAS research, protect public health and the environment from PFAS contamination and support testing and cleanup of contaminated sites.

Curbing PFAS contamination has been a focus of Kelly’s given Arizona’s unique water challenges. Kelly was a key member of the Senate bipartisan group that reached a $1.2 trillion infrastructure agreement for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and he played a leadership role in drafting the drinking water and western water portions of the law, including securing $10 billion for PFAS remediation and cleanup. 

“PFAS chemicals have emerged as widespread contaminants affecting thousands of communities across the country, causing significant concern for those drinking contaminated water or facing significant exposures through their work or military service,” the Senators began. “The prevalence of PFAS combined with the adverse health impacts associated with exposure—including developmental effects, changes in liver, immune, and thyroid function and increased risk of some cancers—requires a comprehensive approach.”

“We encourage you to provide detailed funding plans for a broad range of agencies and programs in your budget request to Congress for Fiscal Year 2023 to address the scale and scope of the challenges presented by PFAS,” they wrote. “Specifically, we ask that your budget request include dedicated funding to close gaps in data and research to better inform responses and drive innovation. Second, we urge prioritization of regulatory work necessary to enhance protections for public health and the environment. Finally, we encourage robust funding to support ongoing testing and cleanup of existing contamination nationwide.”

In addition to Senators Kelly, Shaheen, and Collins, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Thomas Carper (D-DE), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) also signed onto the letter.                                                   

The full text of the letter is available HERE.