While Oklahoma Sens. Lankford and Mullin weren’t part of it, it’s worth mentioning how some Republican Senators were joined by West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin in filing a bill to counter the Biden administration’s radical environmental agenda and its impact on consumer vehicle choice.
The bill, the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act, was filed by U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), a measure to prevent the implementation of a proposed rule and other regulations that seek to limit consumer vehicle choice.
“The Biden administration should not dictate which car Idahoans can purchase with their own hard-earned money, yet they are aiming to do just that with their radical green agenda,” said Risch. “The Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act puts an end to this insanity by ensuring families can purchase a vehicle that suits their needs.”
“Once again, the Biden Administration’s rule-making process is being used to push a radical green agenda and pick winners and losers,” said Crapo.
Risch, Crapo, and Ricketts are joined by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in introducing the legislation.
On April 12, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a draft rule titled “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Year 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles,” which sets stringent emissions standards for criteria pollutants and greenhouse gasses for certain vehicles. This rule is the most aggressive tailpipe emissions proposal ever crafted and a de facto mandate for mass production of electric vehicles (EVs). The EPA has projected that, if finalized, over two-thirds of all new vehicles could be electric by 2032.
The average price of an EV is over $17,000 more than the average price of a gas-powered vehicle, according to 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.
The Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act:
- Would prohibit the EPA from finalizing, implementing or enforcing its proposed emissions rule;
- Would prohibit the use of authority under the Clean Air Act to issue regulations that mandate the use of any specific technology or that limit the availability of new motor vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine type. This includes any regulation prescribed on or after January 1, 2021;
- Would require the EPA to update any regulations since January 1, 2021, that result in the limited availability of new vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine within two years; and
- Would end the EPA’s radical agenda, which is driving up costs for people and handing the keys of America’s auto industry to China.
The bill is supported by the American Petroleum Institute, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, National Propane Gas Association, National Association of Convenience Stores, National Association of Truck Stop Operators, SIGMA: America’s Leading Fuel Marketers, Idaho Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, Energy Marketers of America, American Exploration and Production Council, American Energy Alliance, Western Energy Alliance, National Taxpayers Union, National Association of Small Trucking Companies, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Idaho Farm Bureau, American Farm Bureau, National Corn Growers Association, National Automobile Dealers Association, Idaho Automobile Dealers Association, Texas Automobile Dealers Association, Montana Automobile Dealers Association, Specialty Equipment Market Association, Heritage Action and Americans for Prosperity.
Full text of the bill is available HERE.
