House Republicans are pushing back against the Biden administration’s stringent car emissions regulations that would significantly curb greenhouse gases and other pollutants from vehicles. More than 30 GOP lawmakers, led by Rep. Andrew Clyde, have introduced a resolution under the Congressional Review Act to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new multipollutant emission standards, which were finalized last month. Overall, the rules are by far the most stringent of their kind ever finalized at the federal level.
Rep. Clyde, in a statement to Fox News Digital, fiercely criticized President Biden’s climate policy, stating, “Despite persistent pleas to keep his hands off our car keys, President Biden is doubling down on his radical EPA rule to institute a de facto EV mandate on our country.” He added that “Hardworking Americans already battling inflation simply cannot afford the President’s illegitimate power grab – nor should they be forced to bear this burden.”
The EPA’s new regulations mandate automakers to rapidly reduce emissions from new passenger cars, light trucks, and larger pickups and vans, beginning with model year 2027 vehicles. The rules aim to slash carbon dioxide emissions from the transportation sector by an estimated 7.2 billion metric tons through 2032 and require a significant increase in the production and sales of electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, traditional hybrids, and fuel cell vehicles.
Biden celebrated the regulations, referring to an ambitious target he set three years ago that half of all new cars and trucks sold in 2030 would be zero-emission. “I brought together American automakers. I brought together American autoworkers,” Biden stated. “Together, we’ve made historic progress. Hundreds of new, expanded factories across the country. Hundreds of billions in private investment and thousands of good-paying, union jobs. And we’ll meet my goal for 2030 and race forward in the years ahead.”
Opposition to the EPA’s regulations has also surfaced among some state officials, bipartisan lawmakers, agriculture industry groups like the National Corn Growers Association, and energy associations such as the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and the American Petroleum Institute. Critics argue that the measures could encumber auto manufacturers and enrich other countries like China, while potentially crushing the American economy and limiting consumer choice.
Notably, the shift towards electric vehicles is already underway, with 9.5% of new light-duty vehicle sales being EVs in 2023, up from 7% in 2022 and 4.3% in 2021. However, electric vehicles still remain more expensive than traditional gas-powered cars, and the share of Americans considering an EV purchase has declined from 55% to 44% year-over-year, as indicated by a recent Gallup poll.
When asked about the GOP resolution, the EPA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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