WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), released the following statement on President Trump’s desire to zero out funding for the Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Program and other massive cuts that would impact the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

“President Trump’s budget cannot be taken seriously. He claims to want to help strengthen our economy and create jobs while simultaneously wanting to eliminate critical federal investments that allow Chesapeake Bay states like Maryland to prosper. The president needs to understand that a healthy Bay means a healthy economy and this cannot be accomplished without a strong federal partner. Less pollution means more oysters and crabs, healthier farmland, more boats and tourism on the water, and more jobs. The drastic cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, the Army Corps of Engineers and many other programs will quickly cost the American people as we sacrifice clean air and clean water, public health and our national water infrastructure.

“Universally, Congress must quickly reject the president’s budget before the absurdity of his proposed cuts —including outright elimination of the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program—causes ripples of uncertainty and fear across the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed economy. At a time when we have seen nitrogen levels dropping and dead zones shrinking, President Trump is intent on turning the clock back decades.”

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