Providing for Congressional Disapproval of the Rule Submitted By the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to ``National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Rubber Tire Manufacturing''

Floor Speech

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Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding.

I rise in strong opposition to this resolution. I am honestly having a hard time understanding why we are considering this resolution today.

In the first 9 weeks of 2025, the House majority has made no progress on funding the government for the remainder of the fiscal year, and they have made no attempt to hold the Trump administration accountable for its actions, whether it is ignoring court orders to stop withholding congressionally directed funding or dismissing hardworking Federal employees or upending our closest trade and national security partnerships.

Instead, today, we are taking time on the House floor to consider a minor rule that EPA was legally obligated to develop. The rule in question--to limit hazardous air pollutants from rubber tire manufacturers--was finalized in November of last year.

At no time, as far as I can remember, did the Energy and Commerce Committee conduct any oversight of that rules development during the years EPA took to collect data and then propose and finalize the rule. It was certainly never the subject of a hearing. Why would it be? This rule only affects 12 facilities across our country and does not even meet the Congressional Review Act's definition of economically significant.

Hazardous air pollutant emission limits have existed for most parts of rubber tire manufacturing since 2002. However, a 2020 court ruling required EPA to address all unregulated hazardous air pollutant emissions from a major source category. When EPA carried out a required technology review, it was obligated to propose limits for the unregulated rubber processing subcategory of rubber tire manufacturing.

I understand this is getting into the weeds of the Clean Air Act, so let me be as clear as possible for our Members. This rule requires a very small number of rubber processing manufacturers to take reasonable steps to reduce hazardous air pollutants. It is not overly burdensome to manufacturers. It is achievable, based on cost-effective, existing pollution control technologies, and it does fulfill EPA's legal obligation to regulate harmful air pollutants from all segments of the rubber tire manufacturing process.

While the economic impacts on these firms are small, the rule will reduce air pollution, resulting in greater public health protections for the communities near those 12 facilities.

This resolution is just the latest on a long and growing list of legislation to give a free pass to polluters. I urge Members to oppose it.

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