Paul Tonko
Representative for New York · Democratic · United States
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Colorado for yielding. I rise in strong support of the DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act and applaud my colleagues, Representative Diana DeGette and Richard Hudson, for championing this critical piece of legislation.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Kay Hagan Tick Act legislation that I am leading along with my colleagues, Representatives Chris Smith, Lloyd Doggett, and Tom Kean.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the AADAPT Act, legislation I am proud to be co-leading along with my good friends and colleagues Representatives Troy Balderson, Nanette Barragan, and Darin LaHood.”
“The AADAPT Act represents an investment in our provider workforce as we enter a new era of dementia care, with emerging tools like blood- based biomarker tests making earlier, more accessible diagnosis possible and increasingly shifting diagnosis into primary care.”
“[[Page H4651]] Every one of these breakthroughs carries the hope for a brighter tomorrow for individuals living with Down syndrome. I would also like to recognize that this progress doesn't happen without sustained advocacy.”
“Already, warning signs are blaring that 2026 could be the worst year for tick exposures since 2017, based on CDC tracking data. In this backdrop, research investments and public health resources are more vital than ever. That is what the Kay Hagan Tick Act will deliver.”
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“[[Page H4651]] Every one of these breakthroughs carries the hope for a brighter tomorrow for individuals living with Down syndrome. I would also like to recognize that this progress doesn't happen without sustained advocacy. In particular, I would like to highlight the role of the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award and its founder, Michelle Sie Whitten, for their tireless advocacy to make this happen today. I again thank our co-leads, Representatives DeGette and Hudson, for their outstanding leadership. I look forward to supporting this measure on the House floor.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Colorado for yielding. I rise in strong support of the DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act and applaud my colleagues, Representative Diana DeGette and Richard Hudson, for championing this critical piece of legislation. The DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act will help ensure the NIH INCLUDE Project continues advancing research that improves health outcomes, expands scientific understanding, and enhances quality of life for individuals with Down syndrome and their families. This legislation builds upon one of our Nation's most successful investments in Down syndrome research. Already, these investments have led to major breakthroughs in how Down syndrome interacts with other health conditions that have a high incidence in the community, such as immune system disorders, cancer, Alzheimer's, and more.”
“Speaker, I am indeed proud to have worked on the AADAPT Act and urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation that addresses advancements in this field of dementia care.”
“The AADAPT Act represents an investment in our provider workforce as we enter a new era of dementia care, with emerging tools like blood- based biomarker tests making earlier, more accessible diagnosis possible and increasingly shifting diagnosis into primary care. This legislation is designed to close the gaps in dementia training by ensuring providers are prepared to responsibly adopt and apply these innovations in everyday practice. One proven way to address this issue is with the Project ECHO training model. In my district, in the capital regional of New York, health systems like St. Peter's Health Partners in Albany County are already using the ECHO model and working to improve dementia care. Mr.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the AADAPT Act, legislation I am proud to be co-leading along with my good friends and colleagues Representatives Troy Balderson, Nanette Barragan, and Darin LaHood. Alzheimer's is a devastating disease that impacts nearly 427,000 individuals in New York State alone. I would imagine that everyone in this room has been impacted in some form by Alzheimer's at some point. It is, first and foremost, a human crisis, but it is also a Federal budget crisis. That is why I have been proud to be a champion of Alzheimer's-related issues during my time in Congress and why I feel so strongly about advancing the AADAPT Act today.”
“Already, warning signs are blaring that 2026 could be the worst year for tick exposures since 2017, based on CDC tracking data. In this backdrop, research investments and public health resources are more vital than ever. That is what the Kay Hagan Tick Act will deliver. I am proud to have worked on this commonsense bipartisan bill, and I would urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Kay Hagan Tick Act legislation that I am leading along with my colleagues, Representatives Chris Smith, Lloyd Doggett, and Tom Kean. The Kay Hagan Tick Act would reauthorize key programs at the CDC that fund both research and support for local public health agencies to address tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease. Tick-borne diseases are a large and growing problem in New York, with more than 18,000 cases of Lyme disease reported in New York State in 2024. Lyme can cause serious health consequences, and for some, long- term complications persist after treatment. With a warming climate, tick populations and ranges are on the rise, leading to fears that tick-borne diseases will continue to increase in frequency in the years to come.”
“In response, we sent them to another country without any due process to be abused and tortured, and we are paying that government $6 million to do so. These are not deportations, but they are government-enforced disappearances. They are illegal. They are horrific. They are the tactics of a dictatorship, not a democracy. We cannot let them get away with this. This is the red line that they cannot be allowed to cross.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Takano for bringing us together this evening for a very important discussion. Kilmar, Andry, Jefferson, Kevin: a devoted father married to an American citizen, a makeup artist who faced persecution in his home country because he is gay, a man with a valid work authorization and pending asylum hearing, and a son of a government worker attacked for his opposition to a corrupt regime. These are just a few of the hundreds of men who have been sent to a foreign prison with conditions so inhumane that El Salvador's Justice Minister has said that the only way out is in a coffin. These men came to our country, in many cases through approved legal pathways, seeking a better life for themselves and their families.”
“Of course, no other State is required to adopt the California rule. Like so many other vehicle innovations, I suspect that many of our constituents, whether our States adopt the rule or not, will thank California for supporting the development of new pollution control technologies that will result in all of us benefiting from cleaner and healthier air. Madam Speaker, I urge Members to reject this resolution.”
“The California Air Resources Board spent significant time working with truck and engine manufacturers to allow for compliance flexibilities and alignment with EPA's NO X standards, but, ultimately, California's decision to pursue this rule was done for the sake of their residents, residents that live along highways and ports and who experience a disproportionate amount of pollution from truck traffic. {time} 1645 Madam Speaker, anyone who has spent time in neighborhoods that border these industrial sites, as I have in the south end of Albany that I represent, knows that these additional public health protections are not only warranted but they are indeed necessary. I am glad that California is leading the way in reducing diesel truck pollution, and we should not stop them from wanting to better protect these fenceline communities.”
“Despite these trucks and buses being only a small fraction of vehicles on the road, they account for some 45 percent of NO X and 56 percent of fine particulate matter pollution from the transportation sector. We know that heavy-duty vehicles have a long lifespan. Vehicles sold today will still be on the roads for many, many years. Ensuring that new trucks and buses are as low-polluting as possible not only reduces pollution today, but will continue to contribute to cleaning up our air for decades to follow. I know this decision to regulate was not made lightly.”
“Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. I rise in opposition to this Congressional Review Act resolution. We have already heard so much debate about why the Congressional Review Act is not applicable to these waivers and why this is such an egregious attack on States' rights, so I won't belabor those points. I will say that California developed this rule, the heavy-duty omnibus rule, to reduce pollution from some of the worst sources of traditional air pollution from the transportation sector. This rule does not include a sales requirement for zero-emission trucks, but it would result in diesel vehicles reducing their output of harmful NO X and particulate matter.”
“Speaker, I urge Members to reject this resolution, to allow California to make the decisions it needs to protect the health of its residents, and allow our entire country to have a better chance to create jobs and compete to dominate for the future of the automotive industry. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the time.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding additional time. Mr. Speaker, at the moment, China has emerged as the global leader, but its long-term dominance of the global EV market is not guaranteed. Here is what I know for certain. If we do not compete, China benefits and will control those global supply chains. Yet, if we embrace this transition, we will give America's automakers and innovators a great opportunity to win the competition in clean vehicles. The bottom line is that, at every turn, the Trump administration is sabotaging all efforts to build a domestic EV and battery manufacturing industry, and the attack on California's right to put forward more protective standards is part of that effort. Mr.”
“Of course, after the upfront costs, EVs are proven to save consumers considerably through reduced fuel and maintenance costs. Even that upfront cost is quickly approaching parity with internal-combustion vehicles as more and more activity is existing out there with the manufacturers globally. If Members were truly concerned about the cost of vehicles, they would speak out about President Trump's reckless tariffs, which are expected to raise the cost of all vehicles, EVs and internal-combustion engines alike. Finally, Republicans have suggested that the EV transition plays right into China's hands. The reality is that the market, both in the United States and globally, is heading down a clean-vehicle path. At this moment, China has emerged as the global leader. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Smith of Nebraska).”
“{time} 1545 The Trump administration is illegally freezing billions of dollars at the Department of Transportation that were intended to build out a network of charging stations, which will reduce range anxiety and improve the convenience of EV ownership. The Trump administration has made the Department of Energy an unwelcoming place to work, resulting in 3,500 public servants leaving the agency who were responsible for supporting R&D funding to improve battery technology. Mr. Speaker, talk about overreach by the executive branch. There it is. Improvements to batteries will allow for greater range, improved performance, and lower costs. It has been very publicly reported that the majority is considering repeal of consumer incentives that reduce the upfront costs of EVs, all while giving people a clear choice of what vehicle to purchase.”
“Now, Members also raised a litany of concerns about the performance of electric vehicles, that they don't have adequate range, they don't perform well in cold climates, and they are too expensive. Well, as they are sharing those concerns, we have a Trump administration response that I will talk about. We hear a lot of talk here today in this debate about executive overreach, primarily from the previous administration of President Biden. Well, I find it ironic that these complaints are coming up while the Trump administration is actively working to undermine Federal investments and programs to address these very issues.”
“I will focus on the specifics of the underlying rule which will rapidly reduce tailpipe pollution from light-duty vehicles by increasing the percentage of new zero-emission vehicles sold in California to 100 percent in 2035. I will try to dispel some of the myths about this rule. First, it only applies to new vehicles. No one is requiring people to give up their existing vehicles. Second, it does not apply to used vehicles, so there will continue to be a robust secondary market for internal combustion engines. Third, I heard several Republican Members express their support for hybrid vehicles at the Rules Committee. Under this standard, plug-in hybrid vehicles can account for a significant portion of sales requirements through 2035.”
“Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. I rise in opposition to this Congressional Review Act resolution. The American Lung Association recently issued its annual ``State of the Air'' report, which found that nearly one-half of all Americans are breathing unhealthy air. Despite all the progress that has been made since the enactment of the Clean Air Act, air pollution remains a public health threat. This is especially true in California where over 90 percent of residents live in an area with poor air quality. Given this tremendous public health threat, California has taken the initiative, as it is clearly authorized to do in the law, to protect its residents, including through the Advanced Clean Cars II Program. We have gone over all of the reasons why the CRA is not applicable to this waiver.”
“Reducing this pollution will, indeed, improve health outcomes, result in fewer hospitalizations and missed days of school and work, and avoid thousands of premature deaths. Let's stop with this CRA overreach and attack on States' rights to allow California to move forward with ushering in the next generation of heavy-duty vehicle innovation. Madam Speaker, I urge Members to oppose this resolution.”
“Despite what has been suggested, this rule never required 100 percent zero-emission vehicle sales for any class of truck. Both new and used diesel-powered trucks, buses, and vans will be available for purchase in California and elsewhere in our United States. The rule also includes numerous flexibility measures to help auto manufacturers comply with the standards. The reality is, there are hundreds of different models of zero-emission, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles available for sale today. Major fleets are making the conversion to pollution-free vehicles. Prices are coming down, and more charging infrastructure is being built. Perhaps, most importantly, these vehicles have the potential to contribute to a tremendous reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and traditional air pollution.”
“If we dug into the legislative history of the Clean Air Act, it would be clear that Congress carefully crafted the law to recognize the diverse air pollution challenges facing each State. We would also have a chance to understand how so many innovations have occurred not only because of the law broadly but specifically because California has been able to pursue more protective standards. The process that has resulted in us debating this resolution today is all wrong, but it is also bad on the merits. The Advanced Clean Trucks program is going to make major contributions to reducing air pollution in California, and this rule would only apply to California. Beyond that, every other State would be able to decide what works best for them.”
“They control the House, they control the Senate, and President Trump is in the White House. If the majority wants to directly attack States' rights and prevent California from developing more ambitious public health protections, they can propose an amendment to the Clean Air Act to change the law and end the waiver process. No one has proposed this because it would require hearings and markups and convincing people of the merits of upending more than 50 years of Clean Air Act precedent, which has been the most successful public health law in history. Instead, we are here today debating a shortcut, a Congressional Review Act resolution, as we have done time and time again this year as a quick way to undermine environmental rules rather than doing the hard work of actually legislating.”
“Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this Congressional Review Act resolution. The three CRA resolutions being considered today target Clean Air Act Federal preemption waivers that authorize stronger pollution standards for cars and trucks for the State of California. Ranking Member Pallone and others have explained how these resolutions go far beyond what is legally allowable under the Congressional Review Act and how the Clean Air Act clearly authorized California to pursue and be granted these waivers as has been the case many, many times over the past 50 years. Now, I understand that many Republicans in Congress do not like that California is able to take steps to address its extraordinary air pollution from the transportation sector, but they are in luck.”