REP LIEU STATEMENT ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DECISION TO ROLL BACK EMISSIONS STANDARDS
WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement after the Trump Administration announced last month that it would roll back fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks for model years 2021 to 2026. These standards are significantly weaker than those that had been promulgated by the Obama Administration. Among other changes, under the rule, automakers will be required to improve annual fuel efficiency by 1.5 percent rather than 5 percent. This follows the Trump Administration's likely illegal attempt to withdraw California's waiver to set its own standards in September 2019.
"Rolling back the national clean car standard while we're in the middle of a national public health emergency is stupid and dangerous. New research shows that people who live in areas with higher levels of air pollution are more likely to die from Covid-19. Why, then, would the President decide that now is the time to roll back fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards for the country? Even before this devastating pandemic, these rollbacks were estimated to cause 18,500 premature deaths and 350,00 respiratory ailments by 2050.
"If this pandemic has taught us anything, it's that we need to trust scientists and heed their warnings. Climate change poses an existential threat that will last well beyond our present health crisis. Trump's myopic thinking is unsurprising as it is reckless."
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