I urge you to disapprove the waivers granted by EPA to California that are currently being considered under the Congressional Review Act. If not disapproved, these waivers will limit consumer vehicle choice, increase costs at the taxpayer and consumer levels, and impose stringent policies that are impractical.

As your constituent, residing in your district, I encourage you to prioritize our energy security and consider the impact the California waivers would have across the nation in setting unreasonable policies that impact energy costs, affect supply chains, and have a negative recourse that will be felt across the country. The government should not mandate one energy resource over the other but allow for all types of energy to provide affordable and reliable energy sources to power our everyday lives.

Please stand up and disapprove the California waivers as they will negatively impact not only your constituents but America’s energy security and progress.

Greg Raven, Apple Valley, CA

Sent to:
Jay Obernolte

Response:

Thank you for contacting my office with your support for H.R. 1435, my Preserving Choice for Vehicle Purchases Act. This is an important issue and I appreciate hearing your thoughts regarding it.

Like you, I believe families should be able to choose the best vehicle for their needs, not have their choices arbitrarily limited by government action. As a result, I joined my colleagues Representatives Joyce (PA-13), Bilirakis (FL-12), and Latta (OH-05) in introducing H.R. 1435, the Preserving Choice for Vehicle Purchases Act. This bill would modify the waiver process under the Clean Air Act related to state emission control standards for new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines so states that directly or indirectly limit the sale of new vehicles with internal combustion engines are not eligible for a waiver to enforce those limits.

In places like the High Desert and Inland Empire, where over 100,000 people commute several hours to work every day, electric vehicles can be both unaffordable and impractical. These problems are compounded by a lack of charging infrastructure, with our state already suffering from a failure to produce sufficient electricity for our existing energy needs. I agree that mandating the purchase of electric vehicles will further increase the cost of living in our community and I share your belief that we need a market-based approach that can enable competition in the marketplace instead of more burdensome government control.

I am pleased to report that H.R. 1435 passed the House of Representatives with my strong support by a vote of 222-190 on September 14, 2023. The bill has been forwarded on to the Senate where it awaits consideration.

Thank you again for contacting me. Your thoughts and opinions are of critical importance to me as I work to represent California’s 23rd District in Congress. If you would like to stay informed on what is happening in Washington, D.C. and the 23rd District of California, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter. I sincerely appreciate your comments and look forward to hearing from you in the future.

Sincerely,

Rep. Jay Obernolte, Member of Congress