Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the Republicans' dangerous attempt to revoke California's ability to protect public health and reduce toxic vehicle emissions. The Clean Air Act is clear. California has the fundamental right to adopt vehicle emission standards that support our communities' unique needs better than Federal standards. This isn't new. It has been the law for more than 50 years, and the Clean Air Act has been upheld by every administration, Republican and Democrat. Republicans are making an extremist attack on this precedent, and it is utterly hypocritical for them to call for States' rights when it suits them. I spent 10 years in the California Legislature, and I know firsthand how critical it is for our States to meet the needs of our local communities whose health and safety are at risk due to pollution. The consequences of this are real. Toxic air pollution causes asthma, heart disease, and contributes to over 100,000 deaths in America every year. We have a moral duty to protect our residents from unnecessary toxic air pollution and environmental harm. Let's be clear. This attack comes as Republicans are trying to gut Medicaid. While they are stripping healthcare from millions of Americans, at the same time they are attacking our ability to protect public health. It makes no sense.…”