WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican-backed bill delaying implementation of Obama-era reductions in smog-causing air pollutants has passed the House.

Congress voted 229 to 199 on Tuesday to approve the Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2017. The measure delays by another eight years the implementation of 2015 air pollution standards issued by the Environmental Protection Agency under the prior administration.

The bill also makes key technical changes that environmentalists say will weaken the Clean Air Act, including switching the EPA’s mandated review of air quality standards from every five years to every ten.

Ground-level ozone can cause breathing problems among sensitive groups, causing thousands of premature deaths each year.

Republicans lauded the measure as common-sense legislation that would protect jobs. The GOP bill is supported by groups representing the chemical and fossil fuel industries.