Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues like to attack California for its forward-thinking policies to address dangerous air pollution, especially from the transportation sector.

California has indeed been a leader in reducing air pollution for decades because of our unique air pollution challenges. In fact, we were the very first State to regulate tailpipe emission pollution from vehicles.

The Federal Government followed California's lead by enacting the first iteration of the Clean Air Act in 1970, over 10 years after California had legislation to adopt standards for community air quality and motor vehicle emissions.

Since California already had tailpipe emission standards on the books, Congress drafted the Clean Air Act to accommodate their ongoing innovation and progress in addressing air pollution from the transportation sector, and all of this occurred under the governorship of Ronald Reagan.

Over the years, EPA has granted California dozens of waivers for its emission standards. That has enabled California to not only address its significant air pollution challenges but has also cemented California as a worldwide leader in deploying emissions reduction technologies.

Our ambitious standards in California paved the way for the invention of the catalytic converter and the dashboard ``check engine'' lights, in addition to the development of zero-emission vehicles.

Unfortunately, H.R. 1435 seeks to erase decades of historic progress on addressing air pollution, driving innovation, and protecting public health.

Frankly, the goal of this shortsighted bill is to keep us stuck in the past and our heads in the sand while the real, tangible dangers of climate change continue to harm our communities, our environment, and our economy.

We should not reverse decades of California's historic leadership in protecting public health and addressing air pollution from the transportation sector.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 1435.

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