Republicans are picking a fight over gas prices and climate policies in a competitive California House race that could play a key role in determining the congressional majority this November.
The National Republican Congressional Committee is attacking Democratic candidate Rudy Salas over his vote to reauthorize and extend California’s programs to curb greenhouse gas emissions as a state lawmaker in 2017.
“Even after Central Valley voters threw self-serving Sacramento politician Rudy Salas out of office, Salas is still hurting them with his zombie gas tax hike,” NRCC spokesperson Ben Petersen said in a statement. “When Sacramento Newsom bureaucrats force Valley drivers to pay 47 cents per gallon more, it will be Salas’ vote to blame.”
Salas’ campaign declined to comment on the vote, which came on a bill with bipartisan support that reauthorized California’s emissions trading system for large polluters and, debatably, its trading program for emissions from transportation fuels. His campaign manager highlighted Salas’ 2017 vote against increasing California’s gasoline tax.
