Matsui Statement on Announcement of Biden Administration’s Tailpipe Emissions Rule
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-06), issued the following statement following the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of its finalized Clean Cars Rule updating tailpipe emissions standards.
“As we work to aggressively combat the climate crisis, I have been unwavering in my calls for ambitious vehicle emission standards and bold federal policies that improve air quality,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “Today’s announcement by the Biden Administration and the EPA is a decisive action necessary to reaching our goal of cutting U.S. climate pollution in half by 2030 and protecting the environment, communities, and our public health. After four years of reckless rollbacks by the Trump Administration, there is no time to waste. We need to advance clean transportation technology, ramp up the deployment of zero-emission electric vehicles, and make the crucial investments necessary to protect our future. This is the time to think bigger and bolder on our climate goals. I applaud the agency’s announcement and look forward to working with the Biden Administration to continue strengthening our transportation emission standards, improving air quality for communities nationwide, and achieving our goal of electric vehicles accounting for 50% of new car sales by 2030 and 100% of new sales by 2035.”
In August, the Biden Administration released their proposed tailpipe emission standards to replace the Trump rule that had rolled back Obama-era standards. During the public comment period – the Administration also considered two alternatives, including a stronger proposal that was closer to the original Obama-Biden standards. Last month, Congresswoman Matsui and Senator Markey led a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, urging the agency to choose the stronger alternative. The rule announced today incorporates many of the policies urged in the letter.
Congresswoman Matsui has long been a champion of bold climate action and the adoption of ambitious vehicle emission standards. In March of 2021, she led a letter with 70 of her colleagues urging the Biden Administration to take action to reinstate California’s Clean Air Act waiver and restore the Obama-Biden tailpipe emission and fuel economy standards. She is also the author of the Clean and Efficient Cars Act, a bill that would codify the Obama-Biden standards which were rolled back during the Trump Administration.
# # #