LOS ANGELES, CA — Today, California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters) and League of Conservation Voters released the following statement in response to the Senate Parliamentarian reaffirming that California’s Clean Air Act waivers are not subject to the Congressional Review Act.

“In the face of relentless federal rollbacks, we need California to stand strong and continue our strong legacy of environmental leadership. Today’s Senate Parliamentarian ruling makes that possible. By confirming that California’s Clean Air Act waivers are not subject to the Congressional Review Act, this decision once again upholds our state’s authority to set stronger clean air standards. It’s not just a win for California — it’s a win for every state that is working to protect their communities from the harmful environmental impacts of dirty air pollution” said Mike Young, Executive Director, California Environmental Voters. “At a time when we have a presidential administration and congressional majority aligned with corporate polluters, we need every tool available to push back and move forward. A big thank you to Senator Padilla and Representative Schiff for their strong engagement and advocacy on this critical issue. Any continued attempts to attack this ruling further shows Congress Republicans are out of touch with the needs of American families and are prioritizing an agenda that makes us all poorer, sicker, and less safe.”

“Protecting our health from pollution should not be controversial,” said Darien Davis, Government Affairs Advocate for Climate and Clean Energy at the League of Conservation Voters. “California was the first of several states to establish their own strong protections decades ago, and has stood as a national and often global leader on clean air rules. These standards save drivers money by making the cars we buy more efficient, and save us all millions in health care costs lowering rates of asthma, lung disease, and other respiratory illnesses. Trump has made it clear he will do everything he can to undermine health and environmental protections to help his big oil donors bottom line. State action has never been more important.” 

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