Matsui Issues Statement on Agreement Between CARB and Leading Automakers

Washington, D.C. Today, Reps. Doris Matsui (CA-06) issued the following statement commending the deal the State of California struck with leading automakers, including Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, and BMW, to promote clean air, invest in U.S. auto industry jobs, and save consumers money at the gas pump. The agreement outlines that automakers will produce vehicles that could average 50 miles per gallon (mpg) by the year 2026, which is a strong rebuke of the Trump Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) efforts to freeze the standard at 37 mpg.

"Today's agreement is an important step forward, but our work is not done," said Congresswoman Matsui, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "I am encouraged by the leadership of Mary Nichols at the California Air Resources Board and leading automakers for finding compromise in the face of the Trump Administration's anti-science, pro-pollution agenda. This move highlights that the Trump EPA's so-called "SAFE Vehicles" rule is dead on arrival. It's bad for our climate. It's bad for consumers. It's bad for the auto industry. Automakers recognize that we need to build the clean and efficient cars of the future, and I applaud them for stepping up to the plate to find a path forward on fuel economy and air quality standards. I strongly urge all automakers to support this reasonable path forward that could prevent years of litigation and economic uncertainty."

Congresswoman Matsui is the author of H.R. 978, the Clean and Efficient Cars Act of 2019, which reverses the Trump Administration efforts to roll back the Obama-era Clean Car Rule. For a fact sheet on the bill, click here.

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