Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act

Floor Speech

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Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition of H.R. 1435, the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act.

It is disappointing and, quite frankly, dangerous that this political messaging bill is intentionally being brought to the floor, given its potential impact on ongoing labor negotiations that expire at midnight tonight.

Unfortunately, this is yet another Republican attack on the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to keep Americans safe from dangerous air pollution, and it will have widespread, harmful effects on the future of the domestic automotive industry.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to reject this false choice between protecting our environment and protecting our working families. We can and must do both.

The UAW opposes this bill. Sierra Club opposes this bill. LCV opposes this bill. We must stand with men and women who know what is best and oppose this bill.

This bill prevents the EPA from granting a waiver of Federal preemption under the Clean Air Act for any California vehicle emissions standard that directly or indirectly limits the sale or use of vehicles with an internal combustion engine. On top of this, it directs the EPA to revoke waivers that were already granted more than a decade ago that don't comply with this vague metric. This would immediately put existing waivers dating back a decade in jeopardy.

This doesn't affect just California. It has nationwide ramifications that every Member should be concerned about. It infringes on States' ability to voluntarily adopt standards to protect their citizens from dangerous air pollution and climate change.

My Republican colleagues are always saying that we have to protect States' rights. They are not doing it in this.

Let's be clear: The Clean Air Act is explicit in the EPA having the authority to protect all Americans from dangerous air pollution, including in the transportation sector.

Do you know what worries me the most? It is whether we are going to be prepared to be competitive in a global marketplace.

Revoking past waivers would throw unnecessary uncertainty into the marketplace. Companies need certainty to be competitive. This creates confusion for both industry and consumers.

Beyond undoing standards to protect citizens from dangerous air pollution, it will also stymie future automotive innovation that drives this Nation forward.

I will not cede our American leadership in the transportation sector to any other country in the world. Europe has already exceeded selling electric vehicles beyond the 50 percent mark, and we can't allow partisanship to stand in the way of building these cars here in this country.

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Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, we cannot let future mobility be dictated to us by foreign competitors when we put the world on wheels.

I love my Republican colleagues, and they know that I do, but we couldn't get the defense bill this week so we are playing this game with the livelihood of my constituents, the autoworkers in my district.

I am not going to let these cars be built in China. I am not going to let them be built anywhere but in America, and that means we have to compete. I will fight for them every single day, and I am not going to stop.

This bill is not good for the American automobile industry, and I urge my colleagues to oppose the legislation.

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