Leaking and abandoned hazardous waste sites pose serious threats to the public health, have caused extensive environmental damage in some areas, and have contaminated drinking water supplies in communities across the country. In 1980, Congress established the federal Superfund program to identify and clean up the nation's most dangerous toxic waste dumps. But in the early '80s, environmental advocates in Congress became dissatisfied with the ineffective cleanup efforts then being pursued by the Environmental Protection Agency. Therefore, when Congress reauthorized Superfund in 1986, it required EPA to make the permanent treatment of hazardous wastes its preferred method of cleaning up Superfund sites.

As part of the "Reinventing Government and Spending Cuts" deficit reduction package, Reps. Timothy Penny (D-MN) and John Kasich (R-OH) introduced an amendment that would divert $1.2 billion from the Superfund program by eliminating the requirement for treating hazardous waste, and instead use zoning laws and other restrictions to keep people away from hazardous waste sites. Rather than permanently and reliably treating toxic waste, the bill called for waste containment. Considering the high risk of leakage, this approach would be a ticking time bomb.

The Penny-Kasich amendment to the Government Reform and Savings Act of 1993 was defeated 213-219 on November 22, 1993. NO is the pro-environmental vote.