Dexter Moves to Block Legislation Weakening Clean Air Protections

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03) used a Motion to Recommit-the final procedural tool available before passage of legislation-to challenge House Republicans' attempt to weaken Clean Air Act protections and make it easier to ignore dangerous air pollution.

"More than fifty years ago, Democrats and Republicans came together to recognize that clean air is fundamental to public health. They put people over politics and passed the Clean Air Act to protect the air we breathe," said Rep. Dexter. "Congress is now betraying that promise. A centerpiece of the Clean Air Act is mandated air quality monitoring, which tells us which communities are breathing safe air, and which are not. States can already exclude data that is beyond their control. This legislation dramatically expands those exceptions. The result? Sweeping new loopholes that give bad actors a green light to cause further air pollution."

A Motion to Recommit is the minority party's last chance to amend a bill or send it back to committee before the House votes on final passage. Rep. Dexter used this procedural tool to force a vote against the FIRE Act, H.R. 6387.

Air quality monitoring data collected under the Clean Air Act is essential to determining which communities are meeting health-based pollution standards and which are not. Current law already allows states to exclude data tied to true exceptional events beyond their control, including wildfires and natural disasters. Existing policy also recognizes prescribed burns as qualifying exceptional events and an important tool for reducing catastrophic wildfire risk. The FIRE Act expands the allowable exceptions to include common conditions, like hot days or drought, making it easier for bad actors to get away with increasing pollution above what is safe to breathe.

Despite these risks, Republicans voted to move the legislation forward to final passage.

Dexter's remarks on the House floor during debate can be viewed here.

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