Chair Rodgers Opening Statement at Markup of Bill to Modernize Air Quality Standards (3.6.24)

an opening statement for decades America has been the number one place to do business while maintaining some of the best air quality in the world we have achieved the success in part through laws that enable not disable the productive capacity of Americans their communities and the industries that support them unfortunately that Prosperity that opportunity to work and Thrive is being threatened as the Biden Administration advances radical environmental policies that will crush the American economy the Biden epa's new standard for fine particulate matter or PM 2.5 for instance will devastate American manufacturing which we rely upon to improve people's lives and our economic leadership these efforts undermine American economic activity which directly harms Public Health and Welfare and the rules fail to address primary sources of particulate pollution like wildfires the new rule goes well beyond the Congressional intent expressed in the Clean Air Act to promote reasonable actions to limit or reduce emissions and pollution its harm would extend to nearly every sector of our economy in addition to manufacturing the rule would hurt power generation agriculture construction and Forestry it jeopardizes hundreds of billions of dollars in US economic activity and millions of jobs and making it nearly impossible to build new manufacturing facilities it would make efforts to secure our supply chains and reduce our dependence on CH countries like China nearly impossible by all measures the nation's air quality has improved dramatically since the Clean Air Act was enacted and current standards are improving quality even more the EPA itself has already conducted concluded that current standards are protective of Public Health and has reported that total emissions of criteria air pollutants have dropped 73% since 1980 the data is clear US Air Quality is the best in the world and only getting better despite this progress the Biden EPA is taking steps to introduce these new standards that are completely divorced from reality by all measure the nation's air quality has improved dramatically since Congress passed the Clean Air Act the instead of more harmful regulations what we need are reasonable solutions that appropriately balance protecting our Public Health while ensuring America continues to maintain its economic leadership that's the approach we've taken for decades and it's worked as air quality improves air quality act Provisions that were established decades ago when air quality was much worse are now becoming counterproductive as new air quality standards get closer to Natural background levels there's less room for industry to acquire necessary permits or further cut their emissions what we need to be doing is updating our air quality standards responsibly in a way that reflects the reality of today and what states and communities can actually achieve we cannot allow outdated requirements to be weaponized against US economic prosperity and the interest of Americans today we will mark up the air quality standards implementation Act of 2024 this legislation ensures efficient effective implementation of air quality standards for the states which are responsible for meeting public health goals the legislation will ensure that measures to implement Health protections are realistic and balanced in their approach it will enact reasonable requirements that states can actually implement it will provide time necessary for states and the EPA to implement existing standards and to review and develop workable future standards that keep with the goals of the Clean Air Act the legislation will also ensure Regulators follow the law when considering how to promote healthy communities and take into account factors like adverse Public Health welfare social economic and energy impacts will'll make it easier to reduce Wildfire risk something that's especially important for my home state of Washington and provide time to implement the new particulate matter standards in a way that will help reduce the worst economic harms of the Biden administration's policies we must update air quality standards responsibly in a way that reflects reality this discussion draft will ensure that measures to implement Health protections are realistic and balanced in their approach protecting public health and our economy are not mutually exclusive goals but to achieve this requires that we rethink how to address pollution levels that are outside our control this legislation is essential to achieving both these goals and it should be bipartisan I look forward to the discussion to advance the bill to the full committee and I yield back G lady yields I