Paul Tonko: “I appreciate the time offered by the gentleman from Kentucky. If experience has taught us anything over the past two…”

“I appreciate the time offered by the gentleman from Kentucky. If experience has taught us anything over the past two decades, it is that the Clean Air Act has been a success. New businesses have started, the economy has grown, and the air is cleaner and, beyond that, healthier for all of us. {time} 0930 The adjustments to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards Act are about a large body of research on the impacts of air pollutants on human health and the environment. H.R. 4795 assumes we cannot continue that record of success. The predictions of dire consequences to our economy before and after Congress adopted the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act have never materialized. We have, however, grown our economy and have achieved cleaner, healthier air for everyone. So, contrary to its title, this bill does nothing to promote manufacturing. It is simply another of many attempts to undermine the Clean Air Act. Instead of bringing this partisan bill to the floor--yet another bill that has no chance of becoming law--we could be working together on legislation that would reinvigorate our domestic manufacturing sector. We could pass pending tax legislation or, better yet, tax reform, which would provide the certainty, provide the fairness, and provide the clarity that everyone needs and deserves. If it were enacted, this bill before us would be more likely to cause confusion and legal challenges than to generate new manufacturing jobs.…”