The Republican-led House voted to reject a new regulation by the Biden administration regarding automobile emissions on Friday. The GOP members argue that the rule would result in Americans being compelled to purchase expensive electric vehicles that they are not interested in buying. The Environmental Protection Agency introduced the regulation in March, aiming to implement the most ambitious standards ever in the United States to reduce emissions from passenger vehicles at a time when electric vehicle sales are slowing down.
Critics, including former President Donald Trump, have criticized the regulation as an electric vehicle “mandate,” although it does not require all vehicle sales to be electric. The rule states that the industry could comply with the standards if 56% of new vehicle sales are electric by 2032, along with a requirement for at least 13% plug-in hybrids or other partially electric cars by the same year, as well as more fuel-efficient gasoline-powered vehicles.
The projected increase in electric vehicle sales is significant, as current sales reached 7.6% of new vehicles in the previous year. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, described the EPA’s rule as an attempt to force Americans into driving electric vehicles, emphasizing that it serves the Biden-Harris administration’s green agenda.
On the other hand, New Jersey Representative Frank Pallone, a top Democrat on the energy panel, criticized the Republican-led action as an attack on air pollution protections. He accused the GOP of prioritizing corporate profits over public health and safety and decried the resolution as reminiscent of Trump’s policies.
The EPA rule, which covers model years 2027 to 2032, aims to reduce over 7 billion tons of carbon emissions in the next three decades. EPA Administrator Michael Regan highlighted that the standards are technology-neutral and performance-based, allowing companies various pathways to comply. The regulation, which aligns with President Biden’s climate goals, aims for half of all new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. to be zero-emission by 2030.