PennFuture Condemns Attempt to Kill the Clean Vehicles Program

HARRISBURG, Pa.--Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture) today called on the leadership of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to abandon plans to force a vote on Senate Bill 1025 (SB 1025), the bill that would kill the Clean Vehicles Program.

“It is inconceivable to me that House leadership could be so oblivious to the clear message sent by the voters,” said John Hanger, PennFuture’s president and CEO. “Voters want respect for democratic processes, and forcing a vote on Clean Cars when at least 49 of the legislators won’t be returning in January but will be voting during the Lame Duck session beginning Monday shows little respect.”

SB 1025 was due to be considered prior to the legislature’s election break, but a huge public outcry — and entreaties from some House members not to force a vote just before the election — led to the leadership not bringing SB 1025 up then.

“If the leadership thought this was a bad bill to consider just before facing the voters, they must also know that it is a very bad, very unpopular bill at any time,” continued Hanger. “We urge every legislator to stand up to the leadership and keep the bill from being revived during the Lame Duck session.

“Quite simply, the Republican leadership has declared war on cleaner, more fuel efficient cars — cars that would cut our dependence on foreign oil by up to 29 percent, and would save consumers $7.9 billion,” Hanger continued.

“Federal law requires us to clean up our air,” continued Hanger. “If the pollution reductions do not come from cleaner cars, greater reductions will be required from businesses and industries making it harder to expand existing businesses, locate new businesses here and grow jobs. If the Republican leadership succeeds in killing the clean cars program, the only winners would be the out-of-state and foreign-owned auto industry interests. Pennsylvania consumers would be the biggest losers.”

The Clean Vehicles Program will allow Pennsylvanians to purchase the most technologically advanced, fuel-efficient and cleanest cars, striking a blow against our addiction to foreign oil from Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. The Clean Vehicles Program will also protect Pennsylvania jobs and industry, since federal law requires the Commonwealth to cut air pollution. The clean cars program cuts one-third of that pollution, avoiding stricter standards on many businesses. The program has been through an extensive public comment process and has been approved by every required regulatory body. SB 1025 would override that public input and approval.

The Clean Vehicles Program standards were developed by the state of California, and are the only option besides the weak standards of the federal government. Once the clean cars program is fully implemented, Pennsylvania will join Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Oregon, Washington and California in opting for the clean cars program.