Congressman Pat Harrigan Votes to Stop Penalizing American Communities for Foreign Pollution

Contact: Lexi Kranich (814) 380-4408

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10) voted in favor of H.R. 6409, the Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability Act, legislation to protect American states, workers, and businesses from federal sanctions driven by pollution they did not create and cannot control.

"Radical policies want to pile more rules on our states, our workers, and our manufacturers while giving foreign polluters a free pass," said Congressman Harrigan. "If a state is doing everything right and still falling short of an air quality standard because of emissions crossing our border, Washington has no business punishing them for it. The Green New Deal crowd has spent years using regulations like this to crack down on American industry, and this bill puts a stop to it."

The FENCES Act amends the Clean Air Act to block the EPA from designating areas as nonattainment when states can demonstrate they would meet air quality standards but for emissions originating outside the United States. It also shields states from federal sanctions and fees when air quality shortfalls stem from foreign emissions, exceptional events like wildfires, or mobile source pollution entirely beyond the state's control. States must renew that demonstration every five years, ensuring accountability while ending the practice of punishing Americans for problems that start outside our borders.

Congressman Harrigan is urging the Senate to pass the legislation and stand up for American energy, American jobs, and basic common sense against more bureaucratic overreach from Washington.