Pallone Floor Remarks in Opposition to Republican Resolutions Repealing Clean Maritime Standards

Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) delivered the following remarks on the House Floor today in opposition to H. J. Res. 210 and H. J. Res. 213, resolutions that invoke the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal two Clean Air Act waivers of federal preemption for California clean maritime standards, and block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from ever taking similar action in the future: 

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong opposition to H. J. Res. 213. Republican leadership is sending us home two weeks early for a two-month recess before the November elections, and instead of using the little time we have left to address the worsening affordability crisis that the Trump Administration is causing, we are wasting the last week of session on another round of useless Congressional Review Act resolutions.

Mr. Speaker, Trump is destroying our economy while House Republicans sit on the sidelines.

Let’s take stock of where we are, almost two years into this disastrous Administration. Sky-rocketing diesel prices above $6 a gallon – the highest price ever and getting higher every day. Trump’s reckless war of choice in Iran is costing the average household more than $3,800 from higher grocery bills and transportation costs. Gasoline prices are 35 percent higher compared to this time last year, and thanks to Trump’s disastrous tariffs, inflation has reached a three year high. With Trump’s latest trade war with Canada, costs to consumers are only going to rise further.

But rather than face any of those problems, the Republican majority is going back to the CRA well and then getting out of town.

This week’s CRAs seek to nullify common sense standards that will help save money on fuel costs and health bills. The Commercial Harbor Craft standards simply require harbor craft vessels – such as excursion vessels, tugboats, workboats, and ferries – operating within California waters, to upgrade to cleaner diesel engines or zero-emission power, depending on vessel class. And the At-Berth standards require large vessels – like container ships, tankers, cruise ships, and auto carriers – docked at California ports, to either connect to shore power or use an approved emission control strategy.  Both are designed to help decrease the use of diesel fuel.

These programs have been on the books for years, driving investments in cleaner engines and technologies to upgrade port infrastructure, and saving families billions in avoided health care costs.

Repealing these programs would throw that all away so Republicans’ corporate polluter friends, like Big Oil, can take advantage of hardworking American families.

Meanwhile, these California maritime programs are making people’s lives better, and producing real benefits. The transportation sector is a major source of dangerous pollution. The Commercial Harbor Craft standards will save up to $5 billion in health care costs. And the At Berth standards are delivering more than $2 billion in public health benefits to the American people and are reducing California residents’ cancer risk by 55 percent.

If House Republicans were really concerned with costs and affordability for Americans, they would acknowledge the cost of pollution. They would recognize that to repeal these standards is to shift those costs from those responsible for generating the pollution to American workers, families, businesses, and taxpayers at a time when health care costs are also sky rocketing. The Republicans should do something about these costs, instead of doubling down on these reckless CRAs.

To top it off, once again, House Republicans are ignoring the law and abusing the CRA process to retroactively target legally authorized Clean Air Act waivers. Both the Government Accountability Office and the Senate Parliamentarian have ruled that California waivers are orders, so ineligible to be repealed with a CRA. And last week, a judge granted a preliminary injunction blocking EPA from reclassifying Clean Air Act waivers as rules and stopping the agency from sending them to Congress for nullification. But obviously the Republicans don't care, they do whatever they please just like the President, so here we are wasting floor time. I question whether these will even be sent to the Senate, to be perfectly honest. 

These resolutions are a waste of our time this week and once again show that Republicans have no interest in providing much needed relief to American families.

I strongly oppose H. J. Res. 213, like I opposed H.J. Res. 210 last night and urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

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