[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 203 (Monday, December 11, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





       OPPOSING THE CHOICE IN AUTOMOBILE RETAIL SALES ACT OF 2023

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 6, 2023

  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my opposition to H.R. 
4468, the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act of 2023, which would 
prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from finalizing the 
proposed rule titled ``Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model 
Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles'' and further 
prohibit EPA from prescribing any regulations for new motor vehicles 
that would directly or indirectly result in the limited availability of 
new vehicles powered by any given engine technology.
  EPA's vehicle emissions standards save lives. By 2030, these 
standards are projected to prevent 40,000 premature deaths and 34,000 
hospital visits annually. However, H.R. 4468 would force Americans to 
breathe dirty, polluted air, needlessly putting tens of thousands of 
lives at risk. This bill would lock in dirty, fossil-fuel-burning 
vehicles for the foreseeable future, at a time when the American people 
are already experiencing the deadly effects of climate change. More 
fossil fuel cars mean more frequent and intense floods, stronger 
hurricanes, more dangerous wildfires, and more extreme heatwaves. 
Simply put, we are out of time. We must reduce climate pollution now.
  California has long been a global leader in the fight against air 
pollution. We established the first vehicle emissions standards and the 
first greenhouse gas standards in the country because we know that 
strong air quality standards mean healthier communities and a livable 
climate. I am a proud Californian and a proud champion of strong 
vehicle emissions standards.
  In July of 2023, I led 94 of my colleagues in a letter urging EPA to 
finalize the strongest feasible emissions standards for new light- and 
medium-duty vehicles, which would cut harmful emissions from passenger 
cars and pick-up trucks by more than 50 percent between 2026 and 2032.
  H.R. 4468, however, would not only prevent EPA from implementing the 
proposed light- and medium-duty vehicle emissions rule--it would gut 
EPA's authority to regulate vehicle pollution altogether. It is 
disgraceful. We are faced with a choice between new zero-pollution 
technologies or doubling down on dirty fossil fuels. The choice is 
clear. I strongly oppose H.R. 4468, and I urge my colleagues to oppose 
this dangerous legislation.

                          ____________________