[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 145 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H5679-H5680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DIESEL EMISSIONS REDUCTION ACT OF 2025
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2140) to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to reauthorize
the diesel emissions reduction program.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2140
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Diesel Emissions Reduction
Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF DIESEL EMISSIONS REDUCTION ACT.
Section 797(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
16137(a)) is amended by striking ``2024'' and inserting
``2029''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Fletcher)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous material on H.R. 2140.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, DERA, of 2025, led
by two members of our committee, Representative Matsui of California
and Representative Langworthy of New York, reauthorizes a longstanding
and successful bipartisan program.
This EPA program provides funding assistance to accelerate
replacements and upgrades for older diesel engines. It has supported
U.S. manufacturing jobs through the development and deployment of a
wide range of technologies, leading to improved air quality and
economic growth across the country.
It is estimated that for every Federal dollar received, the DERA
program has leveraged about $2.30 in outside funding, resulting in over
570 million gallons of fuel saved. The program has also upgraded 76,900
vehicle engines. I urge support of this bipartisan legislation with a
track record of proven results.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2140, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act,
reauthorizes a longstanding bipartisan program to cut pollution from
diesel engines.
Through the program, the Environmental Protection Agency administers
grants and loans to States and projects that help replace and retrofit
diesel engines across the country that emit dangerous air pollutants,
like nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, to improve air quality and
public health.
The program is one of the most cost-effective tools to improve air
quality and public health in local communities, delivering at least $30
in public health benefits for every Federal dollar spent.
EPA estimates that the DERA projects helped generate over $8 billion
in health benefits during the first decade of the program.
It is a prime example of a program that works, creating jobs,
improving the health of our communities, saving Americans money, and
protecting the environment. That is why the Energy and Commerce
Committee unanimously reported H.R. 2140 earlier this year.
I thank Representative Matsui for her leadership on this legislation,
and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman
from California (Ms. Matsui).
Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of H.R.
2140, and I am proud to lead the Diesel Emissions Reductions Act. I am
thankful to Representatives Calvert, Langworthy, and Pingree for
working with my office to advance this bill and to secure consistent
annual funding for the Diesel Emission Reductions Act program, known as
DERA.
For more than two decades, DERA has been a model of effective
bipartisan policymaking. First authorized in 2005, the DERA program has
helped replace or retrofit thousands of old diesel trucks, buses, and
other diesel engines.
Diesel pollution is linked to lung damage, cancer, and heart disease.
Replacing older diesel vehicles and engines has meaningfully reduced
pollution in communities across the country and delivered billions of
dollars in public health benefits.
I am proud to work with my bipartisan co-leads, especially in this
hyperpartisan moment, to continue supporting DERA and to continue
driving down diesel pollution.
Under the DERA program, California has replaced thousands of
polluting trucks, tractors, and school buses. Fifty-eight percent of
DERA projects go toward replacing old diesel school buses. Thanks to
DERA, children across California and the country are breathing cleaner
and healthier air as they ride to school.
Now, as diesel prices reach at least $6 per gallon--more in
California--DERA is more important than ever. DERA doesn't just save
lives. It saves fuel, too, and that saves everyone money.
[[Page H5680]]
Diesel vehicles move our food, plow our fields, deliver packages, and
stock our shelves. When diesel prices go up, families pay more for
everyday goods.
DERA helps save money by replacing old, inefficient diesel vehicles
with newer, more efficient vehicles that use less fuel.
DERA also saves money by avoiding diesel altogether and switching
vehicles to other cleaner fuels, like propane, natural gas, or
electricity.
EPA estimates that DERA projects have saved more than 572 million
gallons of diesel. At $6 a gallon, that is $3.4 billion saved. That
means cleaner air, lower operating costs, and better use of taxpayer
dollars.
I am proud to lead the reauthorization of this practical, bipartisan
program that is delivering real results for communities across the
country.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act
reauthorizes a long-standing bipartisan program to cut pollution from
diesel engines, and it is a great example of a program that works.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of it, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on
the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2140.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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