Providing for Congressional Disapproval of the Rule Submitted By the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to ``Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles''
Floor Speech
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this Republican joint resolution, a resolution taken straight from Trump's Project 2025 playbook. The resolution invokes the Congressional Review Act to fully repeal the Environmental Protection Agency's, EPA, rule setting new protective air pollution standards for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles.
Now, this resolution is yet another Republican effort to attack the Clean Air Act and roll back commonsense air pollution protections. It puts the profits of corporate polluters over the health and safety of the American people.
Not only is this CRA ripped right out of Trump's extreme Project 2025 playbook, it is just the latest attempt by House Republicans to do the bidding of their Big Oil allies and prevent the EPA from protecting public health and the environment.
Instead of focusing on funding the government, which is set to expire at the end of this month, Republicans are wasting time bringing up this resolution they know has zero chance of becoming law. Even Senate Republicans have publicly admitted that they have abandoned their strategy of using this CRA this Congress.
So one really has to ask the question: What are we doing here?
This is yet another example of House Republicans failing to be serious about governing or working to implement policies that actually benefit the American people.
Americans have the right to clean air and a safe climate, and EPA's clean vehicle rule would put us on the road to achieve those rights. The transportation sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, making up nearly one-third of total pollution in the United States. This pollution affects more than 130 million Americans who live in counties with unhealthy air. Even worse, air pollution is associated with over 100,000 premature deaths in our Nation every year. Thankfully, EPA is working to address this dangerous air pollution with the tools that Congress gave it.
Now, EPA's clean vehicle standards will avoid 7.2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide between 2027 and 2055, that is equivalent to four times the emissions from the entire transportation sector in 2021. This incredible air pollution reduction will result in tangible benefits for Americans across the country. The rule is projected to yield approximately $100 billion in net benefits each year.
Clean vehicle standards are also a win for consumers and our economy. EPA projects U.S. auto manufacturing employment growth of up to 188,000 jobs in 2032 thanks to this rule. That is on top of the existing 200,000 jobs that have already been added in clean vehicle manufacturing since the start of the Biden-Harris administration.
Once the standards take effect, American families are expected to save an average of $6,000 over the lifetime of a light-duty vehicle, including fuel, operation, and maintenance costs.
So today we are going to hear a lot of false claims from my Republican colleagues. They are going to falsely say that this rule is a mandate, but let me be perfectly clear. EPA's standards are not an electric vehicle mandate. They are technology-neutral and performance based, as required by the Clean Air Act. Auto manufacturers have the flexibility to meet the standards with a wide range of clean vehicle technologies, like hybrids, plug-in hybrids, fuel cell, internal combustion engines, and full battery electric.
Manufacturers can choose the best option for them and to meet the needs of their consumers.
EPA worked closely with stakeholders to ensure that the final rule is ambitious and achievable and benefits all Americans. That is why EPA's final clean vehicle rule is supported by a diverse coalition of autoworkers, automakers, and public health and environmental groups.
Now, the Biden-Harris rule accelerates the adoption of cleaner vehicle technologies that will offer expanded, better choices for consumers, lower costs, and make sure that the United States dominates the next century's worth of clean technology.
This Republican resolution reverses course, putting all of this at risk, and replacing it with nothing. What is more, it also prevents any future administration from taking similar action, and that is a recipe for disaster for our economy, the American people, and for our climate.
Madam Speaker, I just received an SAP, the Statement of Administration Policy, from the Biden administration. I am not going to read it all, but I just want to read the last part of it where it says that this rule is supported by U.S. automakers and autoworkers and that repealing it would jeopardize development in the critical technology sector, ceding the electric vehicle and battery future to global competitors like China.
I hear all the time my colleagues on the other side talking about Communist China and talking about Beijing and how we are not keeping up with them.
Well, the majority will be doing exactly the opposite with this repeal of the rule. Republicans will give Communist China the competitive edge.
Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.J. Res.
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Minerals.
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Ruiz), a member of our committee.
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette), who is the ranking member of our Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee.
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Scholten).
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Michigan.
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining?
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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I keep hearing arguments from my Republican colleagues that the EPA is forcing electric vehicles onto American consumers, but nobody's forcing anyone to buy an electric vehicle, and to claim that is happening is just false.
Expanding and diversifying our domestic vehicle manufacturing industry will increase consumer choice and provide more options for all Americans.
The rule that the Republicans seek to repeal today is actually supported by the auto manufacturers as well as auto unions.
We should be empowering industry to innovate and create better- performing, more affordable options for our constituents. This is about options. There is no mandate.
EPA's consistent vehicle emission standards have empowered decades of innovation in the vehicle industry, which have benefited all Americans.
If we want to compete with China, we have to continue to provide choice. We have to continue to make sure that electric vehicles and other options are available. Otherwise, we are going to fall behind.
I urge my colleagues again to vote ``no'' on this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, may I ask again as to the time remaining on each side?
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, we are not mandating EVs. We are not forcing anybody to use EVs. I am going to say that over and over again. However, what we are doing is trying to reduce air pollution. This resolution is a step backwards in addressing dangerous air pollution that contributes to climate change and contributes to asthma and all kinds of health disorders.
The transportation sector is responsible for a significant portion of our Nation's greenhouse gas emissions and other dangerous air pollutants that harm human health. Over 130 million people across the country live in counties with unhealthy levels of air pollution.
Even worse, air pollution is associated with 100,000 premature deaths every year. Let me repeat that because I don't think my Republican colleagues are getting how serious this is. Every year, 100,000 people across the country die sooner than they are expected to because of air pollution.
Congress directed the EPA to protect public health and the environment and granted it several tools to do so through the Clean Air Act. One of these tools is the authority to set vehicle emission standards for harmful pollutants emitted by vehicles, which is exactly what EPA did when it proposed and finalized the rule that the Republicans are attempting to repeal today.
This reduction in air pollution will result in fewer heart attacks, fewer respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, fewer cases of aggravated asthma, and fewer cases of decreased lung function. The rule is also projected to prevent up to 2,500 premature deaths. With this CRA, Republicans want to wipe out these significant air pollution reductions and associated public health benefits. It is that simple.
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I grew up with my father and my uncle having a used car business, and I know that because we still lease the business to another person who operates it today. They are still selling used cars. People will buy gas-powered cars, hybrids, and electric vehicles. There is nothing in here that mandates that they have to buy an electric vehicle.
The bottom line is, if we don't continue to invest in American innovation and help auto manufacturers and look for various options, we are not going to be able to compete with China.
If you pass this resolution, you are making it much, much more difficult for us to compete with China.
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
House Democrats are united in our understanding that we must decarbonize our transportation sector while preserving consumer choice and driving technological innovation in the domestic auto industry. This resolution would undermine our ability to achieve these goals. Instead of backtracking on decades of progress like the CRA would do, I offer a different path forward.
First, we must protect the integrity of the Clean Air Act and EPA's authority to set forward-looking vehicle emission standards that protect public health and the environment.
Next, we need to foster innovation and technological development in the clean transportation sector.
Finally, we must continue to build on the historic investments in the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law.
With this CRA, my Republican colleagues are attempting to strand these incredible investments and stop this tremendous progress. When Republicans oppose our investments in America's manufacturing, which is what they are doing today, they are advocating for American industry to stand down.
Rather than ceding ground to Communist China, House Democrats are investing in America's ability to compete and beat out our economic competition. That is why we have to oppose this bill.
For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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