[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 96 (Thursday, July 1, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1477]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      REPEALING THE ANTI-CALIFORNIA PROVISION OF THE CLEAN AIR ACT

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                          HON. CHRISTOPHER COX

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 1, 1999

  Mr. COX. Mr. Speaker, currently, California is arbitrarily limited to 
no more than 10% of the funds under the Clean Air Act's section 105 
grant program. (Nationally, that program will provide $115 million in 
state and local clean air grants in 1999.) Yet our state represents 
more than 12% of the nation's population and pays more than 12% of 
total federal taxes. What's more, our state is home to the only 
``extreme'' clean air designation in the country--the Los Angeles 
basin.
  Today, I am introducing legislation to end this inequity, under which 
California generally, and Los Angeles specifically, are significantly 
underfunded by Clean Air Act air pollution planning formulas. The bill 
eliminates the 10% maximum level of funding for any one state under the 
section 105 state and local clean air grant program.
  The bill does not authorize or compel more funds to be appropriated 
under the section 105 grant program. It simply states that California 
should be able to receive its fair share of those funds that Congress 
does choose to appropriate.
  This legislation is supported by the South Coast Air Quality 
Management District, who recently came to Washington to speak to 
members of our state's delegation about the need to end this arbitrary 
statutory limit, which directly injures California.

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