House Majority Fiddles While Climate Crisis Burns

WASHINGTON – After months of climate-fueled disasters around the nation and facing a deadline in just a few weeks to pass a budget, the House Majority instead wasted time today voting on a measure to try and prevent states from cleaning their air.

The House passed a measure that would end the authority California has had since 1967 to set stronger pollution standards given the severe air pollution challenges the state faces. The measure has no chance of consideration in the Senate.  

The following is a statement from Marc Boom, director of federal affairs at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

“Don’t they have anything better to do? The best thing that can be said about this bill is that this is the last we will hear of it.

“Air pollution and climate change are affecting millions of people across the country, as we saw with the deadly heatwaves, devastating storms, and apocalyptically bad air from fires this summer. But instead of dealing with those problems or providing disaster relief, the House Majority moved forward with a measure that would allow the oil industry to keep polluting our air.

“For decades, states have led the way in curbing tailpipe pollution and addressing the climate crisis. If political leaders in other states don’t want to deliver cleaner air for their citizens, that’s their prerogative, but they shouldn’t try to prevent those leaders who do from protecting their citizens.”

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.