Scott Pruitt: We're protecting jobs and the environment

There’s a phrase I’ve used often over the past several weeks — “The future ain’t what it used to be.” After my first full month serving as administrator to the Environmental Protection Agency, there’s no question times are changing, and last week we saw yet another example of how our president continues to lead the way.

Auto manufacturing continues to be one of the driving forces in the American economy, accounting for 3% of our GDP. Forty-five states have 10,000 or more auto jobs. Automakers and their suppliers employ more than 3.5 million Americans. The American people clearly want it to stay that way.

President Trump promised to fight to keep auto manufacturing jobs here in the United States, and he has asked his entire Cabinet to help.

Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and I, as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, took steps to help.  We have announced that we will revisit the previous administration’s rule that finalized standards to increase fuel economy to the equivalent of 54.5 mpg for cars and light-duty trucks by Model Year 2025.

EPA will work with our partners at DOT to take a fresh look. This thorough review will help ensure that this national program is good for consumers and good for the environment.

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After the November election the EPA rushed through these standards, as Forbes reported, “requiring automakers to more than double their fleet-wide fuel efficiency by 2025, a move that comes earlier than expected and is seen as a measure to try to lock in part of President Obama’s legacy before Donald Trump gets into the White House.”

The auto industry estimates that it would need to spend $200 billion to comply. That type of expense would lead to higher prices for consumers, lower wages for workers and jobs moving out of the country. The National Center for Policy Analysis says these standards have pushed manufacturing and jobs to Mexico.

Last week, EPA and DOT put a pause on the process to reexamine the rule to hear from all stakeholders.

This is an example of how the Trump administration is going to do things differently. That includes a more transparent EPA. Americans can have both a clean and healthy environment and good paying manufacturing jobs. America is going to create jobs and grow the economy while at the same time be good stewards to our natural resources.

Improved technology has made the United States the world leader in clean air quality. From 1970 to 2015, aggregate national emissions of the six common pollutants dropped an average of 70% while gross domestic product grew by 246%. We have achieved this reduction during a time when more Americans were driving more cars, more miles. That is remarkable and shows American ingenuity is simply the best.

Increased transparency is a difference the Trump administration is going to bring and with it will come jobs and healthy American families. Yogi Berra was right… The future ain’t what it used to be.

Scott Pruitt is administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

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