Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, otherwise known as DERA, and I urge my colleagues to support this critically important and bipartisan legislation.

The mission of the EPA DERA program is simple: reduce air pollution, improve public health, and make our communities better places to live and raise a family. That is why this commonsense program has continually garnered broad bipartisan support since it was first proposed.

The reason for that is equally simple: DERA gets results and saves taxpayer dollars in the long run. By replacing or retrofitting older and dirtier diesel engines, the program has made meaningful strides in boosting public health, reducing air pollution, and improving the quality of life in communities across the country.

Over the last 10 years, the EPA has awarded over $600 million in funds, and those dollars are making the difference. Over 67,000 engines have been retrofitted or replaced. We have saved nearly $20 billion in realized health costs. We have prevented millions of tons of carbon monoxide and particulate matter from entering our air, and we have saved over 450 million gallons of fuel at the pump.

Mr. Speaker, that is why we need to continue authorizing the DERA program, so that it can continue to do its great work for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friends and colleagues, Congressman Lowenthal from California, Congressman Long from Missouri, and Congressman Wittman from Virginia, for coleading this bill with me and for helping usher it to the floor.

My duty to my constituents is to fight for cleaner air and cleaner communities. In fact, we all owe that to those we serve.

Mr. Speaker, as we prepare to vote on the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, I ask my colleagues to support my bill and this critically important EPA program.

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