Crapo Legislation to Defund Biden’s Electric Vehicle Mandate Receives Senate Vote

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo’s (R-Idaho) and Joe Manchin’s (D-West Virginia) bipartisan legislation to defund the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Rule designed to phase out of gas-powered cars and trucks in favor of electric vehicles (EV) received a vote in the U.S. Senate. 

“The EPA’s rule is the most aggressive form of tailpipe emissions standards ever crafted, and imposes a de facto EV mandate on the American people,” said Crapo. “These emissions standards go too far, and will restrict affordable vehicle choices for families, harm U.S. businesses, degrade our energy and national security and hand the keys of our automotive industry over to China--who currently dominates the entire EV supply chain and has no intention of reducing the carbon intensity of its economy any time soon.”

To view Senator Crapo’s remarks, click HERE.

On March 20, 2024, the EPA finalized its 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 these vehicles and is a de facto EV mandate.  Under the rule, internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles--which still represent the overwhelming majority of new car sales--can make up no more than 30 percent of new sales by 2032.  Last year, EVs made up less than eight percent of new car sales, while hybrids (including plug-ins) accounted for about nine percent of sales.

Enactment of the bill, S. 4072, would have ensured that no Fiscal Year 2024 funds can be used to “implement, administer, or enforce” the EPA’s rule, or any substantially similar rule.  Unfortunately, this legislation failed by a vote of 52 – 46 because a majority of Senate Democrats voted to allow continued funding for this aggressive mandate that effectively regulates gas-powered vehicles out of the U.S. market.

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