I first met Rep. Donald McEachin (D-VA04) back in 2006 when he was in the Virginia House of Delegates, after he endorsed Jim Webb for U.S. Senate. I’ve been a big fan of McEachin’s for years, and have been rooting for him to make a full recovery from the serious medical problems (rectal cancer, a “fistula,” multiple surgeries, etc.) he’s suffered the past five years. The good news, as the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports, is that Rep. McEachin is now BACK!
The road to recovery from multiple surgeries has been long and hard, but Rep. Don McEachin, D-4th, is back in Congress and ready to work.
McEachin returned to Congress on Thursday to work on draft legislation to strengthen civil rights protection for environmental justice.
Very nice. And the RTD adds:
He also has a message for anyone who thinks he will retire because of his health when he completes his first full congressional term at the beginning of 2021.
“I am absolutely, positively, no-doubt-about-it running for re-election,” in 2020, he said.
So…welcome back, Rep. McEachin – you’ve been missed the past couple months. And check out, below, an important issue Rep. McEachin’s been working on recently. First, here’s a brief description, from the House Committee on Natural Resources Democrats.
After months of listening and collaborating, Chair Raul M. Grijalva and Congressman Donald McEachin just introduced historic legislation to establish real environmental justice across the country and put #PeopleOverPolluters. It’s time to stop dumping toxics, spewing pollution and spilling waste in communities that polluters think can’t fight back. Watch our live #EnviroJusticeNow press conference with #EnvironmentalJustice leaders and activists.
And now, here’s video of Rep. McEachin discussing the importance of “extend[ing] the promise of environmental justice to all” and making environmental justice a “national priority.” The fact is, as Rep. McEachin explains, “…for far too long, communities of color, low-income communities…indigenous communities…have been on the front lines of systematic injustice…They have shouldered the burden of living in areas of higher rates of toxic pollution and greater exposure to the effects of climate change…In many cases, [these disparities] have been the avoidable result of government action or inaction.”
Well said – and again, welcome back to Rep. Donald McEachin!
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