Rep. Vince Fong and Rep. James Gallagher: “California Has Become Unaffordable — but Congress Can Do Something About It”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a new op-ed for The Hill, Republican Study Committee Members Vince Fong (CA-20) and James Gallagher (CA-01) highlight how California Democrat leaders’ wasteful spending and burdensome regulations are driving up costs for families and businesses across the country. The California Congressmen discuss their efforts to restore commonsense policies that promote economic growth and prioritize the needs of working Americans.

In September, the House of Representatives passed two Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolutions to repeal California environmental regulations that have driven up costs for American businesses and consumers. H.J. Res. 210, introduced by Rep. Fong, rescinds a Biden-Harris era waiver allowing California to regulate emissions from ocean-going tanker ships while docked at marine terminals in California. H.J. Res. 213, introduced by Rep. Gallagher, overturns another waiver that allows California to impose costly and burdensome emission mandates for commercial harbor craft. Industry estimates expect these waivers to impose more than $2.5 billion in costs to consumers, without a meaningful reduction in emissions.

Overturning California’s extreme climate regulations would ease the financial burden on American families, strengthen supply chains, and support America’s maritime industry. The Congressmen warn that California’s approach shows the consequences of prioritizing a radical political agenda over practical solutions that put Americans first. 

In the piece, Reps. Fong and Gallagher write, “Under Gavin Newsom’s policies, California continues to be one of the most expensive places to live and do business. We pay some of the nation’s highest prices for gas and electricity, with California families paying $2.00 more per gallon than the national average on gas, and more than $8 per gallon for diesel. Housing is unaffordable. Taxes are out of control. And the goods families depend on keep getting more expensive. Instead of addressing this affordability crisis, Sacramento is making it worse.”

Reps. Fong and Gallagher conclude, “The truth is simple. We all depend on California’s ports. Nearly 40 percent of all containerized cargo entering the nation passes through them. When Sacramento makes shipping more expensive, families in California and across the country pay the price. Clean air and affordable living should not be competing goals. Californians deserve both…We will keep fighting to stop Sacramento’s hidden climate taxes from taking more hard-earned money from working families.”

Read the full op-ed here.