Congress Votes to Allow Polluters to Increase Cancer-Causing Pollution

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a Congressional Review Act Resolution of Disapproval (CRA) to repeal an important air pollution rule. The resolution was already passed by the Senate and, if it is signed into law, it will be the first drastic weakening of the Clean Air Act. The CRA would repeal a rule that helped ensure polluting facilities monitored and controlled their emissions and will likely lead to those facilities increasing the levels of toxic air pollution they emit. In response to today’s vote, American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer issued the following statement:

“Today’s vote is extremely disappointing. Congress voted today to allow thousands of polluting facilities to disregard Clean Air Act requirements and increase emissions of some of the most dangerous and deadly hazardous air pollutants. 

“The Clean Air Act identifies 187 pollutants as ‘hazardous’ because of the devastating impacts they can have on health. These bioaccumulating pollutants can cause cancer, birth defects, permanent brain damage, respiratory harm and more. They can damage the lungs and the entire body. And Congress voted to allow facilities to increase these emissions.

“At a time when people are facing numerous threats to health – including Congressional efforts to strip away healthcare from at least 15 million people – it is nothing short of devastating that Congress has given a green light to polluters to make people sicker. We call on President Trump to veto this resolution.”