Legislation introduced to block Biden administration EV mandates

U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and U.S. Representatives John James (R-MI-10) and Russ Fulcher (R-ID-01) recently introduced bipartisan Congressional Review Act legislation in the Senate and House to block the Biden administration’s electric vehicle (EV) mandates. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently finalized new emissions regulations which would require up to two-thirds of new cars and nearly 40% of trucks sold in the U.S. to be electric vehicles (EVs) in eight years.

“President Biden’s EV mandate is delusional,” Ricketts said. “This rule will make it harder for low-income families to buy a car or for rural families to get to their jobs. I promised Nebraskans I’d use every tool I have to fight this. Our bipartisan legislation will keep costs down, defend consumer choice, and protect us against becoming more dependent on the CCP.”

“These regulations are not only disastrous for our economy, but Alaskans know well that EV technology just doesn’t work in rural states—especially those with extremely cold temperatures and communities separated by thousands of miles where reliable transportation is a matter of life and death,” Sullivan said. “Make no mistake, this thinly disguised attempt to get rid of the internal combustion engine without congressional authority will only hurt hard-working families across the country, worsen the supply chain crisis, and deepen our reliance on Chinese Communist Party-controlled critical minerals.”

“Michigan is not afraid of the future, but we demand to be a part of it,” James said. “The Biden administration’s EPA tailpipe emission rule is another out-of-touch regulation that will crater the Michigan auto industry and decimate our middle-class and most vulnerable. Folks in my district simply can’t afford to spend an additional $12,000 on an expensive, unreliable EV. I’ve always said, if you want an EV, get an EV. But allowing the Biden administration to continue stifling consumer choice will only harm the American people. This is a de-facto electric vehicle mandate that will put all 77,580 manufacturing jobs in MI-10 at great risk of extinction.”

“Biden’s latest effort to push electric vehicles is completely out of line and will eliminate consumer choice, grow our reliance on foreign adversaries, directly impact transportation for Idahoans, and have lasting impacts on the U.S. supply chain,” Fulcher said. “Rural communities around Idaho are not able to implement the massive grid expansion that would be needed to support the electrification of heavy-duty trucks. These vehicles consume roughly seven times as much electricity on a single charge as a typical home does in a day and charging centers can require as much power from the electrical grid as a small city. Infrastructure aside, electric trucks cost roughly twice as much as diesel trucks, and these vehicles are not able to haul nearly as much.”

Ricketts and James introduced the CRA for the light- and medium-duty vehicles rule. Sullivan and Fulcher introduced the CRA for the heavy-duty vehicles rule. Sullivan and Ricketts are both members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. James and Fulcher are both members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Original Senate co-sponsors of the Ricketts/James CRA include Sullivan and Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), John Kennedy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Rand Paul (R-KY), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Roger Wicker (R-MS).

Original Senate co-sponsors of the Sullivan/Fulcher CRA include Ricketts and Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), John Kennedy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), John Thune (R-SD), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Roger Wicker (R-MS).