Pelosi Statement on EPA Decision to Grant Waiver for California to Pursue More Stringent Air Pollution Rules

June 30, 2009

Washington, D.C. - Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to grant a waiver to California to allow the state to pursue more stringent air pollution rules than required by the federal government. The Bush Administration had denied the waiver request by California, whose new requirements could become a model for limiting vehicle emissions that contribute to global warming.

"The EPA's announcement today is a significant step forward in the Obama Administration's plan to reduce our dependence on oil, create clean energy jobs, and reduce global warming. This waiver affirms California's role as a trailblazer in environmental protection and energy efficiency and sets the stage for new national goals for vehicle fuel efficiency.

"The waiver and the historic clean energy jobs legislation the House passed last week provide us with the opportunity to lead America toward an effective and affordable clean energy future. It is a moment we cannot afford to miss. We have a responsibility to create jobs and make America more secure, protect the health of our citizens, and honor our moral responsibility to our children and our future generations. Working with President Obama, the New Direction Congress will do just that."