A group of 151 House Republicans have written a letter to the Biden administration condemning the most recently introduced environmental regulations which are pushing for the purchase of electric vehicles.
The letter was originally sent on Monday to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan and was led by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. The letter was also signed by many other committee chairmen including Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.
In the letter, the House Republicans are claiming that the recent regulations are specifically targeting gas-powered vehicle tailpipe emissions, which could lead to an increase in the cost of purchasing a vehicle for consumers, as well as isolate those who are in rural regions in America. They further argued that this push towards electric vehicles could increase the dependency of the U.S. economy on China.
As they note they are particularly concerned about the standards that were proposed regarding “light- and medium-duty vehicles and heavy-duty trucks,” which are a part of the Biden administration’s push for a change in the transportation sector towards electric vehicles in order to address the climate crisis.
The EPA’s proposed vehicle pollution standards if finalized would affect car models from 2027 to 2032. The White House has specifically noted that the regulations are focused on protecting public health by reducing carbon emissions. This move would help accelerate the shift towards electric vehicles as well as reduce oil imports by 20 billion barrels.
