(The Center Square) – The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed resolutions to revoke climate change regulations in California.
U.S. Reps. Vince Fong, R-Calif., and James Gallagher, R-Calif., introduced resolutions to repeal California regulations against commercial harbor crafts and ocean-going vessels. The California rules made it so varying emissions regulations could apply depending on the make and model of ocean-going vessels.
The two California regulations were approved by the Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency, with the regulation against commercial fishing boats approved on Jan. 10, 2025, days before President Donald Trump was inaugurated.
Gallagher and Fong said the regulations against commercial fishing boats and other ocean-going vessels bring high costs for consumers through compliance with environmental mandates.
“California already makes just about everything more expensive, and its mandates on our maritime industry are more of the same,” Gallagher said in a statement shared with The Center Square. “Rolling it back will help protect our supply chains and keep those costs from being passed on to American families.”
Gallagher and Fong estimated the regulations would cost Californians billions on vehicle retrofits and vessel replacements.
"By eliminating this mandate we are cutting costs from an already strained supply chain and bringing meaningful relief to families who have been paying a hidden tax they never voted for," Fong and Gallagher said in a statement.
The California Air Resources Board sought implementation of the climate regulations. The board, established in 1967, is dedicated to fighting climate change from air pollutants through sale of zero-emission vehicles, of which it said 2.7 million have been sold.
“We are one step closer to stopping an unelected state agency in California from increasing prices for consumers across the country, weakening our nation’s supply chains, and straining our regional fuel supply,” Fong said in a statement shared with The Center Square. “California’s At Berth Regulation is unworkable and costly, putting some of our nation’s most productive ports – including the businesses and workers who rely on them – at a competitive disadvantage.”
Jennifer Hernandez, who leads the West Coast Land Use and Environmental Group at the law firm Holland and Knight, said environmental regulations over the last two decades in California disproportionately affect low-income residents. She pointed to cars, building and energy production regulations in the state.
“The measures that California wants and needs to achieve our climate goals are going to cost households making $100,000 or less $5 billion or more,” Hernandez said.
Lawmakers highlighted the resolutions as an example of Republicans seeking to lower costs for Americans as prices remain a top concern for voters ahead of the midterm election.
“Families are already struggling as we bring our country back from the mess that Joe Biden created,” Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., said. “They shouldn’t have to pay even more because of costly emissions mandates on the boats and ships that move goods and fuel across our country. These rules would hurt small businesses, fishermen, commuters, and critical supply chains, including fuel for our military.”
“California’s leaders continue to choose partisan climate politics over economic opportunity and consumer choice. This onerous regulation will increase costs and further force out of the state the industries that sustain California. I support the efforts of my fellow Republican colleagues to repeal these mandates and restore commonsense energy policies to the state,” said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.