Sen. Blakespear Condemns U.S. Senate Vote Overturning California Vehicle Emission Standards

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, Chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Senate vote Thursday to overturn California’s vehicle emission standards:

“It’s shameful that Republicans in Congress have decided to prevent California from doing its part to make our air cleaner. It’s in our country’s best interest to protect the environment and the health and safety of its residents with these entirely reasonable and attainable vehicle emission standards.

This will come at a cost – to human life. As the California Air Resources Board noted, California’s vehicle-emission requirements would prevent more than 1,200 premature deaths and provide $13 billion in public health benefits by 2040 by eliminating 69,885 tons of smog-forming emissions.

Republicans in Congress now appear eager to end California’s ability to set environmental standards higher than in the rest of the nation, a practice for the past 50 years that has driven industry innovation and improvements in clean air, environmental protection and public health, not just in California but in states across the nation that have followed our lead.

This is a giant step backward that is the wrong direction for California and the wrong direction for the nation.”

Elected in 2022, Sen. Blakespear represents Senate District 38, which covers northern San Diego County and part of southern Orange County. To learn more about the district and Sen. Blakespear, visit her Senate website.