Alex Padilla: “colleagues, when Donald Trump returned to the White House a few months ago, there were a whole lot of people throughout…”

“colleagues, when Donald Trump returned to the White House a few months ago, there were a whole lot of people throughout California and beyond that knew that California had a target on its back. For more than half a century, we have been trailblazers in a number of policy areas but especially in the fight for environmental protections and public health protections. And for the last decade, we have been proud to--shouldn't have to-- but proud to stand up to each and every one of Donald Trump's attacks on our clean air and clean water, not just through his rhetoric but through his actions. So while the particular procedural battle that we find ourselves in today over the Clean Air Act waivers may be new, the larger war on California's climate leadership and progress is not new. Thanks to the Clean Air Act, for 50 years, California has had the legal authority to set its own emissions standards to protect the health of our residents and our natural resources. This authority was granted by Congress on a bipartisan basis in recognition of California's unique air quality challenges but also its capabilities as policy leaders. But today, Republicans are threatening to distort the Congressional Review Act and the CRA process in an effort to slow down our progress.…”