Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and California Governor Gavin Newsom met with senior Biden-Harris Administration officials to advocate for critical clean air and water safeguards, disaster relief funding, and public land protections in the final two months of Biden’s presidency. Padilla and Newsom met today with Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland where they urged the Biden Administration to designate outstanding National Monuments, including the Chuckwalla National Monument, and to continue to collaborate with California to bolster water supply and drought resiliency across the Klamath to the San Joaquin Valley to the Colorado River Basins.  

California also has several pending waiver requests that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must review and approve to protect California’s ambitious climate and emissions rules that create jobs and protect public health, as authorized by the Clean Air Act. Padilla and Representatives Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.-44), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.-10), and Doris Matsui (D-Calif.-07) led 22 lawmakers in urging EPA to expedite these approvals earlier this year.

Additionally, Newsom and Padilla have pressed for full reimbursements of the $5.2 billion California state and local governments spent for emergency relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Padilla and Senator Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) previously urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reverse a harmful change in guidance that would cost state and local governments an estimated $300 million.

“In these next two months, the Biden Administration must do all they can to ensure Californians and our environment are protected from future Trump Administration actions as we rebound from the pandemic and strive to meet our essential conservation and emissions goals,” said Senator Padilla. “I’m glad to partner with Governor Newsom to push for these urgent requests and sustain California’s global environmental leadership.”

“Building on our strong partnership with the Biden-Harris Administration, California is working closely with the White House to deliver the critical protections and resources our communities need,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “Together, we are committed to expanding access to health care, advancing cleaner air, and enhancing the quality of life for all Californians.”

Padilla and Newsom also met with the California Democratic Delegation in Congress this afternoon to discuss critical state priorities, including environmental progress.

Under the Clean Air Act, Congress granted California the authority to adopt state emissions standards that are more protective than federal standards, given the extraordinary air quality conditions affecting California residents. When the requirements are met, EPA must then issue a waiver, and other states may also opt into these state standards.

According to stakeholders’ analysis of California Air Resource Board data, the California regulations that need EPA authorization to move forward could save nearly 9,000 lives and over $75 billion in health benefits.

Senator Padilla has been a leader in increasing protections for public lands and access to outdoor recreation. Earlier this year, Padilla, Senator Butler, and Representative Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.-25) introduced bicameral legislation to create the Chuckwalla National Monument and expand Joshua Tree National Park while urging President Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to designate the monument. Padilla, Butler, and Representative Adam Schiff (D-Calif.-30) also introduced legislation and called on President Biden to designate the Sáttítla National Monument in northern California. In addition to the letter he co-led to EPA to expedite approval of California’s waiver and authorization requests, Padilla and the late Senator Dianne Feinstein led a California delegation letter to EPA requesting waiver approval for California’s heavy-duty vehicle regulations in 2022.

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