'Waste Of Time': Frank Pallone Sounds Off On GOP Efforts To Overturn Emissions Regulations

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During debate on the House floor, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) spoke in opposition to GOP-backed legislation.

Transcript

00:00Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 87, 88, and 89, the three

00:08bills that we're considering this afternoon. Like much of what Republicans do here on the

00:14House floor, these three resolutions are a waste of time and are going nowhere, and that's

00:19because both the Government Accountability Office, the GAO, and the Senate Parliamentarian

00:25have determined that Congress cannot nullify these waivers using the Congressional Review

00:30Act. And yet here we are, Republicans are ignoring these rulings and moving ahead, again, a giant

00:36waste of time. These resolutions are nothing more than a ploy to basically distract hard-working

00:43Americans from the fact that President Trump is single-handedly destroying our economy and

00:49driving up costs for American families, including on vehicles. Markets are in turmoil. The first

00:57quarter report indicated that the American economy is actually contracting. It's not growing,

01:04it's actually contracting, getting smaller. American retirement savings are in freefall.

01:09Prices for everyday goods continue to rise, all as a result of President Trump's trade war

01:15with the entire world. He's at war with the entire world. Trump's tariffs are also expected to drive up

01:21the cost of vehicles in the United States by up to $15,000. And Republicans silently sit back and let

01:29it happen, bringing up resolutions on the floor that are going nowhere. Now these illegal CRA resolutions

01:37threatened the Clean Air Act waivers of federal preemption that allowed stronger pollution standards for

01:42cars and trucks for the state of California. My colleague from Virginia gives the impression that

01:48states have to follow California's lead. I don't know that he means that, but he gives that impression.

01:54But that is not true. No one is telling any state that they have to follow California. My state of New Jersey

02:00decided to, but that's up to the governor and the legislature. In fact, they could withdraw the California

02:07standards at any time. New Jersey could if they wanted to. So no one is forcing any state to follow

02:14California's lead. My colleague from Virginia, you know, I love him, but he's talking about big

02:21government. Well, it used to be that the Republicans believed in states' rights, meaning that the states,

02:26little or large, you know, would have their own rights and be able to do their own thing. But he's the

02:33one that's talking about big government now because he's suggesting that the federal government is going to

02:37preempt everything that California and some other states have done. So these resolutions are a direct

02:43attack on over 50 years of Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency recognizing California's

02:49and other states that follow longstanding authority to set stronger vehicle emission standards to protect

02:56the public health of its residents from the state's unique air quality challenges. Now, why do we let states

03:02like California and New Jersey decide this on their own? Because there are different problems in those

03:07states with regard to air quality. Right now, over 90 percent of California residents live in an area

03:14plagued by poor air quality. So if California decides that we need more stringent, you know, standards because

03:22we don't want people to get sick in our state, then they should be allowed to do so. This isn't like

03:27pie in the sky. This is based on the fact that the air quality in California is not good. I mean,

03:32I hate to say it, but it's true. And that's why they need more stricter standards, and they decide to do that.

03:39California started regulating tailpipe emissions actually in 1966 before the Federal Clean Air Act was even enacted.

03:47In drafting the Clean Air Act decades ago, Congress recognized California's air quality challenges

03:52that demonstrated compelling and extraordinary circumstances justifying more protective standards.

03:58And this waiver mechanism also allows other states with challenging air pollution conditions to

04:04voluntarily adopt California standards if they feel that it's appropriate. And this has allowed states

04:10to be a laboratory of innovation for the auto industry and pioneer emission reduction technology,

04:16such as check engine dashboard lights, or even the development of zero emission vehicles.

04:22And the standards of the threat today would continue that legacy. But these resolutions would

04:27completely dismantle that progress at a time when the Trump administration appears to be determined

04:32to see our global leadership in clean transportation to China. None of this has to happen. These resolutions

04:40are illegal, plain and simple. And my Republican colleagues were informed weeks ago by the independent

04:46nonpartisan GAO that California's waivers cannot be revoked using the CRA for two reasons. First, EPA's waiver

04:53decisions are not rules. Second, even if the waivers were considered rules, they would be rules of particular

05:00applicability since they only concern one specific entity, i.e. California. These two factors disqualify the

05:08waivers from review under the CRA and the Senate parliamentarian agreed. So that should have been enough. In other

05:14ways, the Senate parliamentarian says you can't do this. The GAO says you can't do this. But, you know,

05:19again, Republicans are taking the cues from Trump. And he doesn't care what the law is. He just says,

05:25you know, do it. And so that's why we're here today. None of this is going to matter. EPA has granted

05:30dozens of waivers over five decades. And there's a long bipartisan history of recognizing these waivers

05:36as orders which the House Republicans are determined to ignore. So what I'm saying, Madam Speaker, is that

05:41if they can't do what they're suggesting to do today because it's illegal, but even if they were able to,

05:48it sets a terrible precedent for other waivers and other ability of states to decide on their own what

05:54they want to do. If the theory behind these resolutions were to be successful, in other words,

06:03using the CRA to nullify orders, House Republicans would set a dangerous precedent that expands the

06:09applicability of the CRA. And that would mean countless numbers of executive actions made across

06:15the federal government would be at the mercy of the political winds of a vocal few in Congress.

06:20States seeking approvals for energy infrastructure projects would be under threat. Leasing decisions

06:26for major oil and gas fields could be targeted. States that submit waivers for the Medicaid programs

06:31could be up for congressional review under this newly expanded applicability. And this opens up a

06:37Pandora's box for Republicans to invalidate other state programs that they deem unfit for their extremist

06:44agenda. So they're trying to impose a very extremist federal national standard and basically

06:50preempt the states. That's not what Republicans historically do, but you know, this is the age

06:56of President Trump. So I think this should ring an alarm bell for everyone in this chamber today.

07:02It's waivers for California clean vehicle standards. Tomorrow it could be a program or project in another

07:08state out of favor with Trump or the Republicans. To be clear, the transportation sector is the largest

07:14contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, making up nearly one-third of overall

07:20pollution. Passing these resolutions would allow more nitrogen oxides, fine particles, and climate

07:26disrupting emissions to poison our air. While it's disappointing that my Republican colleagues are

07:30attempting to tear down health protective standards, it's not surprising. Just look at their plans to

07:36strip health care from millions of Americans with hundreds of billions of dollars in devastating Medicaid

07:41cuts, which I expect next week in our committee. Instead of attacking clean vehicle programs,

07:47opposing investments in Americans' electric vehicle manufacturing, and pushing regressive

07:53anti-electrification policies. Congress should focus on supporting market innovation, preserving U.S.

07:59competitiveness, and providing regulatory certainty for the clean vehicle industry. Otherwise, you know,

08:05my colleagues on the other side talk about China, competition from China. Well, everything that President Trump is

08:11doing with it is pretty much giving China even more of a runway to be competitive and to win, and in this

08:20case, win in the transition to a clean energy economy, especially across the electric vehicle supply chain. So,

08:26I strongly oppose all of these misguided resolution, and Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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