Rep. Kirk stated on television that we need federal legislation to prevent polluters in one state from affecting people in another state. Specifically, BP dumping more waste into Lake Michigan will affect the beaches of the IL-10th District communities along the Lake.

Kalbfleisch: “I disagree with the ‘not in my backyard’ mentality because it doesn’t solve the problem. If BP doesn’t dump its waste in Lake Michigan, it will just dump it somewhere else. Rather than appropriating substantial funds to develop clean energy sources like solar and wind—the real solution—Rep. Kirk votes to continue to squander hundreds of billions of dollars waging war against a weak country that was never any threat to our national security. That is not my idea of fiscally conservative legislation or responsible environmentalism with a focus on long term sustainability.”