Attorney General Becerra: Failing to Learn from Mistakes in Protecting Americans’ Health and Safety, Trump Administration Moves Headlong to Roll Back Nation’s Clean Car Standards

Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today issued the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s announcement finalizing a rule rolling back the nation’s Clean Car Standards:

 “The crippling consequences of the Trump Administration’s weakening of our nation’s health and safety standards are unfolding before our eyes. Now add to the list President Trump’s zeal to roll back our nationwide Clean Car Standards,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Today the richest, most powerful nation in the world is telling its 300 million-plus people and its economy to shut down and stay put for fear of contamination. Rather than learn from its deadly regulatory backsliding, the Trump Administration instead weakens standards that protect our health and environment from polluting contaminants emitted by cars and trucks. That’s unacceptable. And that’s not where California or America will go.”

 In October 2018, Attorney General Becerra, leading a coalition of 21 attorneys general and the cities of Oakland, Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco and New York, submitted comments detailing numerous, fundamental flaws with the Trump rollback proposal and demanding that the Trump Administration withdraw it. The month before, September 2018, Attorney General Becerra joined officials from around California to testify in defense of the nation’s existing Clean Car Standards at a public hearing in Fresno, California.

In a related action, Attorney General Becerra leads a coalition of 24 attorneys general and the cities of Los Angeles and New York challenging the Trump Administration’s unlawful attempt to undo California’s greenhouse gas emission and zero emission vehicle standards.

More information on Attorney General Becerra's efforts to defend our nation’s Clean Car Standards and California’s greenhouse gas emission and zero emission vehicle standards can be found at oag.ca.gov/cleancars.

 

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