Political Quotes

“I rise to speak in support of the ``Clean Commute for Kids Act,'' which I introduced today. I know firsthand how outdated diesel school buses expose our children to harmful and unnecessary pollution. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley and for many years, I rode a bus to school. I can still smell the diesel exhaust that my classmates and I would breathe in on our way to and from school. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 25 million American children were exposed to this same diesel exhaust when they ride over 500,000 predominantly diesel buses to school nationwide. This pollution not only harms our children's health, but it also impacts student achievement. Studies show that transitioning to cleaner bus fleets can spur both health and academic improvements. As we work to build back better and combat climate change, we must help school districts accelerate the deployment of zero-emission buses to reduce the exposure of our children to pollutants and cut greenhouse gas emissions. That is why I am proud to introduce this bill together with Senator Warnock to authorize $25 billion for a new grant program to help school districts replace existing buses with clean, zero-emission buses. This funding represents an essential aspect of building more equitable, sustainable transportation infrastructure, and it represents an investment in our children, our environment, and our future.…”