Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. I rise in opposition to this Congressional Review Act resolution. The American Lung Association recently issued its annual ``State of the Air'' report, which found that nearly one-half of all Americans are breathing unhealthy air. Despite all the progress that has been made since the enactment of the Clean Air Act, air pollution remains a public health threat. This is especially true in California where over 90 percent of residents live in an area with poor air quality. Given this tremendous public health threat, California has taken the initiative, as it is clearly authorized to do in the law, to protect its residents, including through the Advanced Clean Cars II Program. We have gone over all of the reasons why the CRA is not applicable to this waiver. I will focus on the specifics of the underlying rule which will rapidly reduce tailpipe pollution from light-duty vehicles by increasing the percentage of new zero-emission vehicles sold in California to 100 percent in 2035. I will try to dispel some of the myths about this rule. First, it only applies to new vehicles. No one is requiring people to give up their existing vehicles. Second, it does not apply to used vehicles, so there will continue to be a robust secondary market for internal combustion engines. Third, I heard several Republican Members express their support for hybrid vehicles at the Rules Committee.…”