Foxx Opening Remarks on Several CRAs

As prepared for delivery:

Good afternoon, the Committee will come to order. Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare a recess at any time.

Warning: I am very emotional. Before we proceed with our meeting, I want to take a moment and say that Mr. McGovern and his family remain in our prayers.

For people who often tune in to the Rules Committee, it can seem like there is a lot of conflict between our two sides. And that's certainly true.

But I think it is important, especially in these times, to remember that regardless of our disagreements about policy, and the passion with which we argue, that across the other side of the dais, behind every one of the words uttered, there is a human being.

We all feel the same feelings. So, when one of our members experiences loss, it is something we all are unfortunately all too familiar with.

The loss of a child, no matter the age, is one of the greatest heartbreaks imaginable.

I know that Molly was a very radiant light within the McGovern family, and I am sure that everyone who was fortunate enough to know her, or even meet her, could tell how much of a wonderful human being she was.

In this difficult time of loss, may Mr. McGovern and his family find continued comfort, peace, and strength from their faith and from those around them.

With that, I will turn to Ms. Scanlon for any comments she wishes to make.

[Scanlon's remarks]

Thank you, Ms. Scanlon. I would now like to observe a brief moment of silence out of respect for the Ranking Member and his family.

[moment of silence]

Today, the Rules Committee is convening to consider five separate Congressional Review Act measures: H.J. Res. 60, H.J. Res. 78, H.J. Res. 87, H.J. Res. 88, and H.J. Res. 89.

H.J. Res. 60 provides for congressional disapproval of a rule submitted by the National Park Service in the last administration relating to "Glen Canyon National Recreation Area: Motor Vehicles".

The National Park Service holds a dual mandate that combines conservation alongside the offering of public recreation. However, this National Park Service rule violates the agency's own dual mandate.

Many citizens in Utah live in areas that are locked in by national parks, and they rely on ATVs and other offroad vehicles to navigate freely. This Park Service rule would strip them of that ability.

The National Park Service's recreational mandate must be upheld and not contorted through misguided Park Service rules such as this one that cater to the demands of environmental activists while depriving citizens of navigating freely.

This Park Service rule is opposed by locals in Utah, and it is our responsibility to listen to them and nip this bad rule in the bud.

H.J. Res. 78 provides for congressional disapproval of a rule submitted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service relating to "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for the San Francisco Bay-Delta Distinct Population Segment of the Longfin Smelt".

While the listing of smelt as an endangered species may seem trivial on the surface, it does hold serious negative implications for the people of California and the entire region.

This designation imposes new restrictions on the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project - thereby threatening California's water supply.

It would send up to 200,000 acre-feet of water from California straight into the ocean and constrain a precious resource that could be stored for the future use of Californians to fight fires, droughts, or preserve the area.

This detrimental rule from Fish and Wildlife must be quashed, and the voices of everyday landowners, farmers, and victims of government mismanagement must not be silenced.

H.J. Res. 87 provides for congressional disapproval of a rule - with a very long title - submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "California State Motor Vehicle and Engine Pollution Control Standards; Heavy-Duty Vehicle and Engine Emission Warranty and Maintenance Provisions; Advanced Clean Trucks; Zero Emission Airport Shuttle; Zero-Emission Power Train Certification; Waiver of Preemption; Notice of Decision".

The waiver authority granted to California under the Clean Air Act has been exploited time and again by environmental activists. By leveraging this waiver authority, activists and litigants can set standards for the rest of the country. That's exactly what happened under the Biden Administration.

Now, what does this waiver do?

I'll tell you exactly what it does: it gives California unilateral authority to cram its comply-or-die "zero-emission truck" rule down the throats of every American.

It would decimate the trucking industry, lead prices of basic commodities Americans rely on to skyrocket, and burden hardworking families and truckers everywhere across the nation.

The waiver authority within the Clean Air Act was never meant to cede Article I powers on issues as sweeping as interstate commerce.

This CRA is about defending the core tenets of federalism and defending Americans from a regulatory scheme that would engulf the nation.

H.J. Res. 88 provides for congressional disapproval of a rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "California State Motor Vehicle and Engine Pollution Control Standards; Advanced Clean Cars II; Waiver of Preemption; Notice of Decision".

California's top-down mandate is a direct threat to the purchasing choices of over 40 percent of consumers due to the state's unique position within the Clean Air Act.

We've seen the same politically-charged tactic of banning gas-powered automobiles before - and it always fails.

Americans deserve an economy, and an automobile market, that are diverse, dynamic, and flexible. What they don't deserve are cherrypicked products that fail to demonstrate their viability across the entirety of the United States.

And finally, H.J. Res. 89 provides for congressional disapproval of a rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "California State Motor Vehicle and Engine and Nonroad Engine Pollution Control Standards; The 'Omnibus' Low NOX Regulation; Waiver of Preemption; Notice of Decision".

California's nitrogen oxide engine emission standards will create burdensome and unworkable standards for heavy-duty on-road engines.

This decision by the Biden administration to grant a waiver to the state of California is part of an orchestrated campaign against fossil fuels by EPA bureaucrats who act without regard for the inflation it would impose on Americans.

Despite what some may claim, American consumers are not ready for a full transition to electric vehicles - it's entirely unworkable.

These regulations imposed by California would only serve to cripple the trucking industry and make it substantially harder to transport goods across the country.

During the previous administration, Democrats latched on to inflationary policies, and it's as if they still haven't learned their lesson from last November.

With that, I look forward to today's discussion, and I now yield to Ms. Scanlon, for any comments she wishes to make.