Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Fight EPA’s ‘Aggressive’ Carbon Emission Regulations on Gas-Powered Cars

Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) questions U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tia during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 31, 2022. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Idaho and Nebraska lawmakers have introduced legislation to fend off the Biden administration’s expensive carbon-emission restrictions on gasoline-powered cars beginning in 2027.

Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Pete Rickett’s (R-Ricketts) Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act was proposed to counter “radical environmental agenda and executive overreach.”

“Once again, the Biden Administration’s rule-making process is being used to push a radical green agenda and pick winners and losers,” said Mr. Crapo.  “Americans deserve to have access to affordable, reliable vehicles fueled by American-made energy products.”

In April, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new federal emission standards it said would “improve air quality for communities across the nation.”

The draft rule titled the “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Year 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles” (pdf) sets strict regulatory standards for gas-powered cars.

“This rule is the most aggressive tailpipe emissions proposal ever crafted and a de facto mandate for mass production of electric vehicles (EVs),” Mr. Crapo said. “The EPA has projected that, if finalized, over two-thirds of all new vehicles could be electric by 2032.”

One of the problems with this is that most Americans can’t afford an EV, as their cost continues to be an average of $17,000 over the cost of a gas-powered vehicle, he said, citing data from Kelley Blue Book.

“The Administration’s continued push for EVs threatens to hurt everyday Americans and costs auto workers their jobs while simultaneously helping China, given that China continues to dominate the EV supply chain,” he said.

The CARS Act proposes to prohibit the EPA from finalizing its proposed standards.

In addition, it proposes to constrain the authority given under the Clean Air Act to issue mandates on “specific technology or that limit the availability of new motor vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine type.”

It would also require the EPA to update regulations that limit new vehicle availability based on their engines as well as “end the EPA’s radical agenda.”

EPA Claims Health Benefits

The EPA advocates for the health benefits of reducing carbon emissions.

“The proposed standards would improve air quality for communities across the nation, especially communities that have borne the burden of polluted air,” the EPA stated. “Together, these proposals would avoid nearly 10 billion tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to more than twice the total U.S. CO2 emissions in 2022, while saving thousands of dollars over the lives of the vehicles meeting these new standards and reduce America’s reliance on approximately 20 billion barrels of oil imports.”

EPA’s proposed standards for light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles beginning with 2027 models will use a “broad suite of available emission control technologies” designed to reduce carbon emissions in gasoline-powered vehicles.

“The proposed standards are also projected to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles,” the EPA said. “Depending on the compliance pathways manufacturers select to meet the standards, EPA projects that EVs could account for 67% of new light-duty vehicle sales and 46% of new medium-duty vehicle sales in MY 2032. The proposed MY 2032 light-duty standards are projected to result in a 56% reduction in projected fleet average greenhouse gas emissions target levels compared to the existing MY 2026 standards. The proposed MY 2032 medium-duty vehicle standards would result in a 44% reduction compared to MY 2026 standards.”

The Biden administration claims the new standards will reduce over 7 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions and bring about better health by decreasing the amount of “fine particulate matter” that the EPA says leads to respiratory problems, cardiovascular disease, and premature death.

‘Oppressive and Careless’

According to Sen. Crapo, the changes are going to only cause Americans to undergo more economic pressure while the policies themselves help China.

Electric vehicles are powered by rare earth minerals that are largely sourced out of China.

Some have argued that as the Biden administration’s green policies advance, America will lose its energy independence and increase the economic burden of Americans.

“Consequences of rules and regulations such as these restrict consumer choice and raise costs for the average American family,” he said.

Mr. Ricketts called the proposed standards a prioritization of a “radical left agenda over affordable and reliable internal combustion engines.”

Sen. Shelly Moore Capito (R-West Virginia) said the government has no place in telling the consumer what kinds of vehicles to drive.

“In addition to high sticker prices and a lack of a sufficiently operational charging infrastructure, the Biden administration failed to take into account that electric vehicles currently rely on China for raw materials and on the same baseload power plants the EPA is simultaneously trying to close down,” she said. “The Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act prevents these misguided emissions standards from taking effect and preserves freedom for American consumers.”

Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) called the EPA’s proposed standards “oppressive and careless.”

Echoing Mr. Capito and Mr. Crapo, he added that the regulations will only increase America’s dependence on China.

“I waited in line for gas in the 70s because America was too reliant on foreign oil, and I refuse to risk one day waiting in line for a Chinese battery,” said Mr. Manchin. “This bipartisan legislation would rescind this federal overreach and protect access to traditional, affordable vehicles.”