The House on Wednesday passed legislation that seeks to block an Environmental Protection Agency rule that critics say amounts to a backdoor mandate designed to force Americans to buy electric vehicles.
The 221-197 vote to approve the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act saw five Democrats side with 216 Republicans, according to Fox News.
The legislation came in response to an EPA regulation that the White House has said could lead to a vehicle market in which — to comply with the tailpipe emission rules — 67 percent of new sedan, crossover, SUV and light truck purchases would be electric by 2032. The Biden administration estimated that by 2032, half of new bus and garbage truck purchases could be electric in order to achieve compliance.
If you drive a gas-powered vehicle, the Biden Administration is coming for your car keys.
Today, House Republicans will pass the CARS Act to protect American consumers from the EPA’s woke EV mandate. pic.twitter.com/oeksw9gUiv
— Rep. Andrew Clyde (@Rep_Clyde) December 6, 2023
Republican Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan, who drafted the CARS Act along with Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, said the EPA rule “is unattainable, it’s unaffordable and, in fact, it’s unrealistic,” according to The Hill.
“It takes away what we’ve always thought of as one of the most important principles of Americanism, and that’s choice,” he said.
“The passage of the CARS Act is a massive victory for every consumer and the entire American auto industry. Biden’s mandate has always been unrealistic and a textbook study on how central planning and Bidenomics simply do not work. Mandating EVs has never been a responsible or affordable solution,” Walberg told Fox News.
“Americans should always have the option to buy whatever car suits them the best and the House has taken a massive step toward ensuring that opportunity still exists,” he said.
Walberg said car dealers know the rule is a mistake.
“Just last week, nearly 4,000 car dealers sent a letter to the Biden administration asking them to reconsider their EV mandate, citing a lack of demand from consumers. Today, with the passage of the CARS Act, the House showed we’re listening,” Walberg said in a statement on his website.
Walberg said there’s nothing wrong with consumers having the option to buy an electric vehicle, but said government should not be “tying the hands of American car manufacturers and forcing families to purchase vehicles not conducive to their lifestyle and pricing many families out of the market.”
Fox News noted that even supporters of electric vehicles thought the rule was a mistake.
“Auto Innovators does not believe [the proposed standards] can be met without substantially increasing the cost of vehicles, reducing consumer choice, and disadvantaging major portions of the United States population,” said John Bozzella, the CEO of Alliance for Automotive Innovation.
“Taken together, the proposed GHG (greenhouse gas) and criteria pollutant standards are so stringent as to set a de facto BEV (battery electric vehicle) mandate,” he said.
“Heavy-handed, carrot-and-stick government intervention in the U.S. automobile industry and consumer markets to advance unproven technology remains an egregious use of regulatory power. We encourage members to support the CARS Act and reign in the runaway EPA.” – @Protectaxpayers
— Tom Emmer (@GOPMajorityWhip) December 6, 2023
American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers Vice President of Government Relations Aaron Ringel said the EPA rules helps China more than America.
“Banning vehicle and fuel technologies based on just one category of emissions is unlawful, illogical and bad for consumers, families and our national security,” Ringel said. “It would trade our hard-earned energy security for dependence on China.”
The CARS Act now moves to the Democrat-controlled Senate.
The White House has said that if the Senate passes the legislation, President Joe Biden will veto it.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.