Kevin Kiley, CA
“I want to pass this resolution. It stops one rule. That rule would raise California gas prices even more. Gas prices are already high. California is too expensive. I want to help California stay affordable. California has rules for some ships. Those rules are fine. But California went too far. They made new rules for tanker ships. Tanker ships can't follow those rules yet. So the rules don't help air quality. And tanker ships will pay big fines. The fines will be passed on to consumers. That means gas prices will go up. I want to stop that. I want to stop Sacramento and Washington when they overreach. I support good California rules that work. I just want them to use common sense.”
“I support this resolution to stop gas prices from going up in California. California is trying to force oil tankers to follow clean air rules they do not have the technology for yet. This will not clean the air. It will just lead to billions of dollars in fines that make gas more expensive for drivers. I support rules that actually work, but this one goes too far.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am supporting this resolution today for a simple reason, and that is that it will stop gas prices from getting even higher in California. We simply can't afford it. Prices are approaching $6 on average statewide, far more than any other State. We have the highest cost of living in the country, and Californians cannot afford more to be piled on. Now, I believe that air quality is vitally important at our docks, and I take no issue at all with California's longstanding program of 20 years that requires container ships, passenger ships, and reefer ships to plug in rather than have their engines idle when they are docked. Indeed, with this newest rule, I would not be supporting this resolution if the rule only concerned the roll-on/roll-off vessels, because there are workable solutions there for plugging in when they dock, but CARB overreached. The California Air Resources Board overreached. For the first time, they decided to apply this rule to tanker boilers. The problem is the technology for them just isn't there yet, so virtually none of them are going to be able to comply. What does that mean? It means, number one, there is not going to be any improvement in air quality. But, number two, for every hour that they are docked, they are going to be racking up thousands of dollars in fines, which could accumulate to literally billions of dollars, which, of course, will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices for gasoline. Mr. Speaker, I have made a promise to my constituents to be a check on both Sacramento and Washington when they overreach. In this instance, Sacramento has overreached, and we have the ability to push back and to protect affordability in our State. But, in the same vein, if California wants to come up with a workable rule that applies to vessels that have the requisite technology, then I would oppose any effort here in Washington to interfere with that. You see, we can make our State more affordable while protecting our environment at the same time. All we need is a little common sense.”
Mr. Speaker, I am supporting this resolution today for a simple reason, and that is that it will stop gas prices from getting even higher in California. We simply can't afford it. Prices are approaching $6 on average statewide, far more than any other State. We have the highest cost of living in the country, and Californians cannot afford more to be piled on. Now, I believe that air quality is vitally important at our docks, and I take no issue at all with California's longstanding program of 20 years that requires container ships, passenger ships, and reefer ships to plug in rather than have their engines idle when they are docked. Indeed, with this newest rule, I would not be supporting this resolution if the rule only concerned the roll-on/roll-off vessels, because there are workable solutions there for plugging in when they dock, but CARB overreached. The California Air Resources Board overreached. For the first time, they decided to apply this rule to tanker boilers. The problem is the technology for them just isn't there yet, so virtually none of them are going to be able to comply. What does that mean? It means, number one, there is not going to be any improvement in air quality. But, number two, for every hour that they are docked, they are going to be racking up thousands of dollars in fines, which could accumulate to literally billions of dollars, which, of course, will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices for gasoline. Mr. Speaker, I have made a promise to my constituents to be a check on both Sacramento and Washington when they overreach. In this instance, Sacramento has overreached, and we have the ability to push back and to protect affordability in our State. But, in the same vein, if California wants to come up with a workable rule that applies to vessels that have the requisite technology, then I would oppose any effort here in Washington to interfere with that. You see, we can make our State more affordable while protecting our environment at the same time. All we need is a little common sense.