Ocasio-Cortez on Opposition to the BUSES Act: “What I am requesting is for us to preserve our freedom to protect our children. If you want to do this to your kids, that's your business. But I will not allow this to be done to mine.”

September 2, 2026 Press Release Press Release WATCH HERE Washington, D.C. - Today, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) strongly opposed a bill at an Energy and Commerce Full Committee Markup that would  prevent policies or enforcement of engine idling restrictions under 15 minutes for buses, and eradicate a program that lets residents report idling they see in their own neighborhoods, directly targeting New York City. New York City has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma and faces some of the worst air quality in the country. This bill would establish a federal standard that would reverse commonsense policies put in place by cities and states across the country to protect access to clean air. Find Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks as delivered below: “I find it fascinating sometimes when there's a lot of discourse here, about one size fits all policies and about how folks in urban areas shouldn't dictate how people in more rural areas live, which makes complete sense. But I don't understand- what I don't understand is why the opposite doesn't apply here. The Congressman is not from New York City, so I represent “Asthma Alley,” the South Bronx, kids whose lungs have been choked with smog for decades. And my own nephews, my own family can't get through a day of school without a nebulizer. A 15-minute idling restriction is extraordinarily high in concentrated city streets. And what might be okay in a different area is very much not okay when it comes to kindergartners trying to get on their way to school. High CO2 outputs have statistically shown to reduce cognitive performance by 15 to 50%. And in fact, when we look at kids’ standardized test performance, we're looking at a 10 to 15% difference with kids who are trying to learn in areas with polluted air. These idling provisions make a massive difference. And one of the most important things that I do in my work is to fight for kids in the South Bronx. 1 in 5 kids in the South Bronx in these neighborhoods have asthma. And I want to be very clear that the provisions in this bill target New York City and my community specifically and uniquely. No other municipality in the United States has a reporting program like New York City's. And this provision is targeting our municipality’s  ability to protect our children. These commonsense provisions, all of these things that are talking about how people will be penalized for helping a kid in a wheelchair, is a fairy tale. That does not happen. There are already commonsense exemptions in the law for safety, for conditions. We're not letting people freeze in the dead of winter, and we're not reporting people who are trying to safely load someone with a disability. But what we are trying to do is prevent kids from developing further disabilities like asthma, further disabilities and diseases, because this is one of the most underserved areas in the United States. And I will not sit here and allow them to be trampled on and ignored and talked about in this way. Municipalities and communities have and should have the ability to regulate according to the realities of their local backyard. New York City is doing that. It has the right to do that, just like any other community in the United States. And so, my amendment that I am proposing today is that this act shall not take effect until the administrator of the EPA certifies that its implementation will not increase children's exposure to air pollution. Because I will not sit here and allow my kids to get choked with smog, because people do not understand the realities of what this does to their brains. And with that, I yield back.” Representative Ocasio-Cortez continued: “Once again, you know, the Congressman is not from New York City and is characterizing a program that he is not familiar with. We are attempting to communicate that you are mistaken in your characterization of the program. There are exceptions to load children, for safety inspections for these types of operations to load kids onto school buses. So these scenarios that you are describing are incorrect, not factual, do not exist and are not supported by any evidence. What I find strange about this conversation is that when presented with that, there is a continuation to perpetuate something that is not true. Read the statute. There are exceptions for kids. All of these things that you're alleging happen do not comport with city policy. And so a public mischaracterization of this law that does not comport with reality is being used to justify passage of a law that is going to make kids sick. For what reason? I simply do not understand why we are not telling the truth about this, and why we are trying to advance and target a provision for a district from which the Congressman respectfully does not represent, and it will hurt children. The thing about this is that when you represent an area like the South Bronx, you have to fight and scrap for every tiny thing so that every child can get a 1% chance, a 5% chance at improving at any small outcome that they have. This idling provision makes a difference. We're talking about the difference of 10 to 15% points on a standardized test score. That's the difference between a kid getting a 60 on a state test and a kid getting an 85. The number of pollution and smog that they are being choked with that surrounds that school. So what I am requesting is for us to preserve our freedom to protect our children. If you want to do this to your kids, that's your business. But I will not allow this to be done to mine. And with that, I yield back. ” ### Issues : Committees and Caucuses