Title: A 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.
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Expresses support for the existing One National Program with the goals of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and oil usage, protecting national security, and protecting human health and welfare.
Expresses support for politics that will: (1) achieve maximum feasible oil-use reductions and reduce GHG emissions from mobile sources; (2) recognize the rights and importance of states to set and follow stronger vehicle emissions standards under the Clean Air Act; and (3) ensure that the Administration, the Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency solicit input from states impacted by changes to existing standards for emissions and fuel economy.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 42 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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 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 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--

    (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
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) supports the existing One National Program, agreed to 
        with State stakeholders, with the goals of reducing GHG 
        emissions and oil usage, protecting national security, and 
        protecting human health and welfare; and
            (2) supports policies to achieve that goal that will--
                    (A) achieve maximum feasible oil use reductions and 
                reduce GHG emissions from mobile sources;
                    (B) recognize the rights and importance of States 
                in cooperative federalism to set and follow stronger 
                vehicle emissions standards under the Clean Air Act if 
                they so choose; and
                    (C) ensure the administration, Department of 
                Transportation, and Environmental Protection Agency 
                solicit input from State parties impacted by any 
                changes to the existing GHG emissions standards for 
                light-duty vehicles and the associated standards for 
                corporate average fuel economy.
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