Contact: Sasha Tenenbaum, 917.887.0146, stenenbaum@momscleanairforce.org
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, General Motors withdrew its support for the Trump administration’s attack on California’s clean car standards. This announcement comes in the wake of months of pressure from a coalition of clean air, consumer, environmental justice, climate, and faith organizations.
In September, thousands of Moms Clean Air Force members joined with partners to deliver more than a quarter of a million signatures to the CEOs of GM, Toyota, and Chrysler, urging them to change course and withdraw support for Trump administration rollbacks to pollution standards for cars. Our petitions represented a significant public outcry for automakers to protect the health, safety, and future of our children.
GM now plans to immediately withdraw from litigation supporting the Trump administration’s effort to block states from setting their own tailpipe emissions standards. In response to the announcement, Molly Rauch, Public Health Policy Director for Moms Clean Air Force, released the following statement:
“GM’s announcement is a welcome indicator that it is no longer tenable for automakers to cling to climate-denying, health-harming policies. After months of public pressure from moms across the country alongside a coalition of tenacious clean air advocates, GM has finally abandoned its support for the Trump administration’s rollback of clean car standards. But Toyota and Chrysler have yet to withdraw their support for this rollback, which will increase climate pollution, harm lung health, and cost hundreds of billions of dollars at the pump. Climate change is here, and it is harming our families right now. There is no way to meaningfully respond to the climate crisis without slashing tailpipe emissions from cars and accelerating the move to an all-electric future. Moms are watching. Toyota and Chrysler, what are you waiting for?”