Republican-Led Efforts to Undermine Clean Air Act Favor Industry Interests Over Public Health

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding a markup of a package of bills, including a number that would weaken the Clean Air Act. Taken together, the bills would diminish health protections afforded under the law and increase pollution, including by undermining national air quality standards and creating exemptions to fast-track permits for industrial projects so polluters can evade compliance measures. In response, Earthjustice Action Senior Legislative Representative Liz Ruben issued the following statement:  

“Republicans in Congress and this administration continue to signal that their priority is catering to the needs and interests of industry, not working to protect and improve the lives of everyday people. While Trump’s EPA is choosing to ignore the benefits of saving lives in crafting regulations, House Republicans are wasting no time working to erode one of our nation’s most foundational statutes for protecting the public from harmful air pollution. These proposals to undermine and weaken the Clean Air Act are a threat to public health and safety, not a solution to the very real problem people are facing breathing in polluted air. Whether you call it ‘permitting reform,’ ‘streamlining,’ or ‘efficiency,’ the results are all the same: Polluting industries will enrich themselves at the expense of our public health. Congress must stand up to all efforts to saddle already overburdened communities with dirtier air and increased life-threatening and chronic illnesses.”