[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 152 (Friday, September 20, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H7840]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       ALLOW AMERICANS TO PURCHASE VEHICLES THAT FIT THEIR NEEDS

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to applaud the efforts of 
U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and Department of Transportation 
Secretary Elaine Chao with regard to the unreasonable automobile fuel 
mileage standards put upon consumers by a 2015 Obama-era rule.
  In only 5 model years from now, all U.S. cars would have to average 
55 miles per gallon under this current standard. Most people drive cars 
these days that are somewhere around 25 to 33 miles per gallon. They 
would be forced into very small cars that don't fit their family's 
needs.
  What the administration is seeking to do is freeze this timeline at 
37 miles per gallon until technology can catch up, et cetera, so people 
can choose to buy cars that fit their lives. Under the old rule and 
what the California Air Resources Board is trying to foist upon all 50 
States in meeting the Obama rule, they will not have that choice 
anymore.
  Unfortunately, a few scared automakers have sat down with CARB to try 
to cut a deal to fix the one they agreed to a few years ago with no 
real idea of how they would meet 55 miles per gallon with current 
technology and physics at the time. At this point, there are very few 
55-mile-per-gallon vehicles to even choose from. Most people don't want 
to buy those cars because it doesn't fit their family, their life, what 
they want, and what they desire.
  CARB is trying to foist that on all 50 States, and auto manufacturers 
will be herded toward it by desiring to make the same car type for all 
50 States, not just California. This needs to be stopped, and we must 
draw the line here.

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