House backs GOP bill to block EPA rule on tailpipe pollution; slams plan as electric-vehicle mandate

WASHINGTON– House Republicans on Wednesday passed a bill to block strict new tailpipe pollution limits proposed by the Biden administration, calling the plan a backdoor mandate for electric vehicles.

A proposed rule by the Environmental Protection Agency would require up to two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric by 2032, a nearly tenfold increase over current EV sales. The proposed regulation, announced in April, would set tailpipe emissions limits for model years 2027 through 2032 that are the strictest ever imposed, and require many more sales of new electric vehicles than the auto industry agreed to less ago. of two years.

The EPA says it is not imposing a mandate on electric vehicles, but Republicans say the plan favors electric vehicles and penalizes gasoline engines, forcing Americans to buy cars and trucks they can’t afford.

“Americans should have the right to decide which products and appliances work best for their family, not the federal government,” said Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Minn., the bill’s lead sponsor.

The EPA’s proposed regulation would increase costs for motorists “and hand the keys to the U.S. auto industry to China,” Walberg said, referring to that country’s dominance over the electric vehicle battery supply chain.

The measure was approved by 221 votes in favor and 197 against and now goes to the Senate, where it is unlikely to advance.

New electric vehicles typically cost more than gasoline-powered cars, although prices have dropped in recent months as supplies increased and tax credits for electric vehicle purchases approved in the 2022 climate law took effect. Electric vehicles also have lower operating costs because they do not require gasoline.

The average transaction price for electric vehicles was $53,469 in July, compared with $48,334 for gasoline cars, according to Kelley Blue Book, an automotive research company. Tesla contributed to a substantial drop in electric vehicle prices since late last year by lowering prices, the research company said.

The White House strongly opposes the GOP bill and said in a statement that President Joe Biden will veto the measure if it reaches his desk.

The bill “would catastrophically impair EPA’s ability to issue automotive regulations that protect public health, save consumers money, strengthen American energy security, and protect American investments in the vehicle technologies of the future,” the House said. Blanca in a statement.

The EPA’s proposed standards for passenger cars and light trucks are performance-based, the White House said, and allow vehicle manufacturers to choose the combination of technologies that best suits their customers.

There are currently more than 100 electric vehicle models available in the United States along with hybrid and gasoline options, “giving Americans unprecedented flexibility in where and how they choose to fuel themselves,” the White House said. The EPA proposal could save Americans thousands of dollars over the life of a vehicle by accelerating the adoption of technologies that reduce fuel and maintenance costs along with pollution, the White House said.

The GOP bill “would undermine all of these benefits, harming American consumers, businesses and workers,” the White House said.

Republicans said the EPA rule would reduce options for car owners, “sending our automotive future and our jobs to China” in the process.

“President Biden’s rush to embrace a green agenda is backfiring,” Rodgers said. “He wants us all to drive electric vehicles: 100% battery electric, not plug-ins or hybrids. We disagre”.

New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the energy panel, said the Republican bill; It would stifle innovation and cause uncertainty for American automakers. The bill includes “vague language” that could prevent the EPA from finalizing standards for any type of motor vehicle, Pallone said.

Instead of working with Democrats on legislation to reduce costs for consumers, protect public health and grow the economy, “the Republican majority is, once again, bringing to the floor an anti-clean vehicle bill like part of their agenda of polluters over people. ‘ Pallone said during the floor debate.

“This bill would simply prevent the EPA from doing its job,” Pallone said, accusing House Republicans of “trying to legislate to eliminate years of clean transportation innovation.”