Letter to the Hon. Andrew Wheeler, Admin. of the Environmental Protection Agency, James Owens, Acting Admin. of the National Highway Safety Administration - Matsui Calls On EPA And NHTSA To Halt Clean Cars Rollback During COVID-19 Crisis

Letter

Dear Administrator Wheeler and Acting Administrator Owens:

I write to urge you to postpone finalization of Part Two of the Safer Affordable Fuel Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule, which is expected to be released this Tuesday, March 31st. Our country is facing an unprecedented health crisis that is crippling our workforce, U.S. businesses, and even the federal government. As such, this is not the time to be rushing through final regulations that are going to have far-reaching consequences across various sectors of our economy and on American public health.

The current fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards, as promulgated under President Obama, serve as our strongest national policy to address carbon emissions in the United States. It has been obvious from the outset that the reversal of these regulations, and the drafting of their replacement, has not been grounded in science, nor has it included the expertise of federal employees at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that they are in the best interest of the American people.

Moreover, according to the New York Times, a cost-benefit analysis of the rule showed that consumers would lose more money than they would gain. Americans are suffering financially across the country, confronted with massive layoffs, reduced hours of work, and new costs associated with illness and hospitalizations. As the rule currently stands, it would only add to the already heavy burden our constituents are facing as we continue to see cases of COVID-19 explode in our communities.

While I have significant concerns, and questions, about how this final rule was crafted and justifications for certain changes, I write today only to urge you to halt the finalization of the rule while we continue to respond to one of the greatest health crises our nation has ever faced. The effort to combat this pandemic requires assistance and coordination across all levels of government -- state, local, and federal. We should not be further overwhelming these parties with new regulations that will require time and attention to adjust and respond to. Furthermore, the House demonstrated last week that our economy is facing some of the greatest challenges in our nation's history by passing a $2 trillion relief bill. American consumers cannot afford the additional cost that this final rule places upon them.

It is absolutely imperative that you postpone finalization of this harmful regulatory rollback and I urge you to put the best interest of the American people first by halting your plans to release the rule on Tuesday. Thank you for your consideration.

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