The House late Thursday voted to ban the use of plastic drinking straws from its cafeterias, in an effort to raise awareness about the environmental damage straws can create when thrown away.
Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., offered his proposal as an amendment to an energy and water bill that should be passed on Friday.
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“This amendment … would prohibit the House from spending funds to purchase plastic drinking straws in our eating areas here in the House,” he said on the House floor. “Plastic drinking straws are considered considerable environmental risk to marine mammals and fish.”
“This would be an opportunity for us to show the public that we’re aware,” he said.
No Republican raised an objection, and Rep. Rod Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., said Republicans had no objection to the language. It then quickly passed in an uncontested voice vote.
The vote is the latest move against plastic straws in the last few weeks. New York City is considering a ban on plastic straws in order to cut down on the amount of plastic trash, and several other cities have already taken that step.
The Plastics Industry Association says the problem isn’t plastic straws, but rather the lack of comprehensive waste management plans.
