Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in opposition to H.J. Res. 87. Heavy diesel trucks are some of the most polluting vehicles on the road. Even though they make up just 10 percent of all vehicles, heavy- duty vehicles produce more than half of all pollution and smog-forming NO<INF>X</INF>. The soot and smog pollution from these vehicles kill thousands of Americans every year. For over 50 years, California has had the authority to set its own stronger vehicle emissions rules because California has, to quote the Clean Air Act, ``compelling and extraordinary circumstances'' that justify stronger emissions standards than the Nation as a whole. This was true in 1970, and it is still true today. According to the American Lung Association's 2025 State of the Air report, 5 of the top 10 most polluted cities in America are in California, and that includes my district. I-5 and I-80, which crisscross my district, are both major heavy-duty trucking corridors. The diesel emissions along these corridors create serious air quality issues that directly affect the health and well-being of my constituents. Not only that, these emissions are also a significant contributor to severe weather events. California receives the brunt of climate change's most severe impacts, from wildfires to atmospheric rivers to droughts.…”