III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 42 

Supporting America’s clean car standards and defending State authority 

under the Clean Air Act to protect their citizens from harmful air pollution. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 1, 2018 

Ms. HARRIS (for herself, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. 

WHITEHOUSE, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. 

MERKLEY, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BENNET, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. CARPER, 

Ms. HASSAN, Mr. COONS, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mrs. MURRAY, Ms. SMITH, 

Ms. HIRONO, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. REED, 

Mr. UDALL, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. DURBIN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. CASEY, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. LEAHY, Ms. 

DUCKWORTH, and Mr. NELSON) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Environment and Public 

Works 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Supporting America’s clean car standards and defending 

State authority under the Clean Air Act to protect their 

citizens from harmful air pollution. 

Whereas Congress enacted the Clean Air Act, requiring the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set standards 

controlling air pollutant emissions from motor vehicles 

and preventing the endangerment of public health and 

welfare; 

Whereas Congress enacted section 209 of the Clean Air Act 

allowing the State of California to set vehicle emissions 


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•SCON 42 IS 

standards that meet or exceed Federal emission regulations; 

Whereas Congress enacted section 177 of the Clean Air Act 

to allow States besides California to adopt California’s 

stronger standards in lieu of Federal requirements; 

Whereas the EPA has authority under the Clean Air Act to 

regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from vehicles; 

Whereas the States of California, Connecticut, Delaware, 

Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, 

Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and 

Washington have elected to set vehicle emissions standards that are more stringent than otherwise applicable 

Federal vehicle emission standards and can do so based 

on principles of cooperative federalism pursuant to the 

Clean Air Act; 

Whereas Congress enacted the Energy Policy and Conservation Act and the Ten-in-Ten Fuel Economy Act (42 

U.S.C. 6201 et seq.), requiring the Administrator of the 

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to set 

maximum feasible corporate average fuel economy standards with the ultimate goal of promoting energy savings 

and reducing oil consumption; 

Whereas Congress enacted legislation requiring the National 

Highway Traffic Safety Administration to set Corporate 

Average Fuel Economy Standards with the ultimate goal 

of promoting energy savings and reducing oil consumption; 

Whereas the Federal Government, the State of California, 

and the auto industry agreed to a coordinated set of regulations, called the One National Program, that aligned 

these light-duty vehicle GHG emissions and fuel economy 


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standards as closely as possible and set achievable standards of increasing stringency through model year 2025; 

Whereas the EPA, together with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the California Air Resources Board, collaborated on extensive analysis that 

clearly demonstrated that the existing standards are technically feasible and can be met at reasonable cost; 

Whereas in January 2017, the EPA issued a final determination to maintain the existing GHG emissions standards 

for vehicles of model years 2022 through 2025, based on 

the extensive technical record showing the standards are 

appropriate and achievable; 

Whereas the administration must adhere to cooperative federalism principles by meeting with key State stakeholders 

before impacting their State goals on emissions and public health; 

Whereas America’s light-duty vehicle GHG emissions and fuel 

economy standards support over 288,000 auto manufacturing jobs across 1,200 facilities in the United States; 

Whereas America’s light-duty vehicle GHG emissions and fuel 

economy standards are keeping United States auto companies competitive globally and protecting American consumers from dirtier and more costly technology, as other 

countries adopt strict clean car policies; 

Whereas transportation has now surpassed the energy sector 

as the largest source of GHG emissions in the United 

States; 

Whereas America’s light-duty vehicle GHG emissions and fuel 

economy standards, if fully implemented through model 

year 2025, will— 


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(1) reduce American consumption of oil by 

2,400,000 barrels per day; 

(2) save American consumers $130,000,000,000 at 

the pump by 2030; and 

(3) reduce GHG emissions by 470,000,000 metric 

tons by 2030; 

Whereas America’s light-duty vehicle GHG emissions and fuel 

economy standards protect low-income communities and 

communities of color from disproportionate public health 

and economic burden; and 

Whereas 87 percent of Americans support maintaining strong 

clean car standards and want automakers to continue to 

improve fuel economy for all types of vehicles: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) supports the existing One National Pro4 gram, agreed to with State stakeholders, with the 

5 goals of reducing GHG emissions and oil usage, pro6 tecting national security, and protecting human 

7 health and welfare; and 

8 (2) supports policies to achieve that goal that 

9 will— 

10 (A) achieve maximum feasible oil use re11 ductions and reduce GHG emissions from mo12 bile sources; 

13 (B) recognize the rights and importance of 

14 States in cooperative federalism to set and folVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:52 Aug 01, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SC42.IS SC42

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1 low stronger vehicle emissions standards under 

2 the Clean Air Act if they so choose; and 

3 (C) ensure the administration, Department 

4 of Transportation, and Environmental Protec5 tion Agency solicit input from State parties im6 pacted by any changes to the existing GHG 

7 emissions standards for light-duty vehicles and 

8 the associated standards for corporate average 

9 fuel economy. 

Æ 


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