Pallone Leads Opposition to Republican Legislation Gutting Clean Air Act Public Health Protections

Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) had the following remarks, as prepared for delivery, on the House floor in opposition to H.R. 6409, the FENCES Act – legislation that guts the health protections of the Clean Air Act:

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 6409, the FENCES Act. 

Access to quality and affordable health care is an issue that is at the top of many Americans minds right now as they struggle through the ever-worsening Republican affordability crisis. Republicans have demonstrated over the last year that they have NO interest in improving health care for American people.  

The Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill cut more than a trillion dollars from Americans’ health care, insurance premiums spiked at the beginning of this year for 20 million people because Republicans refused to extend the ACA tax credits, 15 million people are projected to lose their health care altogether, and hospitals are closing in record numbers across the country.  

And now there are reports that Republicans intend to make further cuts and take health care away from more people to pay for Trump’s reckless war of choice with Iran. In Trump’s America, we can’t afford health care, but apparently, we can spend a billion dollars a day on the war in Iran. In fact, Trump himself said that it’s not possible for the federal government to pay for Medicaid and Medicare when we’re fighting wars.  

Well, Republicans attacks on Americans’ health care continue this week here on the House floor by bringing three dirty air bills to the House Floor, including this bill H.R. 6409, the FENCES Act; H.R. 6398, the RED Tape Act; and H.R. 6387, the FIRE Act. 

These bills are an attack on the public health protections that are a cornerstone of the Clean Air Act. They will ultimately make Americans sicker and increase health care costs even more. The health harms of air pollution are well documented and being felt by communities across the country. Communities in areas with unsafe levels of air pollution see more diagnoses of diseases like asthma, COPD, heart disease, and certain types of cancer – all of which require long-term treatment and medication. Air pollution is also responsible for over 100,000 premature deaths every year. It is ridiculous to even consider these bills when our constituents are demanding action on health care affordability.  

From reducing transparency, to artificially reducing air pollution reporting by ignoring climate change, to giving corporate polluters free passes on Clean Air Act requirements, these bills are evidence that Republicans are more interested in helping their polluter friends than the well-being of Americans.

This bill, the FENCES Act would undercut the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, or NAAQS, which tell us the amount of air pollution that is safe to breathe. The bill would have us ignore bad air quality in areas that experience any pollution beyond its borders. It removes the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to impose fees or sanctions on states that fail to make progress toward cleaning up the air. And it gives states that are not even trying to improve air quality a free pass for pollution, without any incentive to fix the problem.  

If signed into law, this bill would require EPA to cook the books on air pollution in favor of industry – removing all accountability for states to clean up air pollution and leaving millions of Americans to breathe unhealthy air. The only winners here are corporate polluters, who would get to save a few dollars in compliance costs. 

Republican attempts to undermine the NAAQS aren’t new. Every time that EPA strengthens an air quality standard, opponents complain that stronger public health standards will limit economic growth. But that has never been true. Every time, industry has innovated better pollution control measures to meet the new standards.  

Republicans also claim that the FENCES Act is part of their permitting reform effort. But this bill would not speed up any permitting. In fact, it would cause complete permitting gridlock in areas with pollution that exceeds an air quality standard.  

The House Republicans are trying to use accounting gimmicks to make areas with poor air quality appear much better to benefit corporate polluters, at the expense of the health of Americans across the country. Pushing the FENCES Act at a moment when millions of Americans are struggling to afford their utilities, groceries, and health care is unconscionable.  

I urge my colleagues to vote no on this bill. 

And I reserve the balance of my time.

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