WASHINGTON, D.C.–U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) led 10 of their colleagues in filing an amendment to the second Fiscal Year 2024 minibus spending package that would prevent funding to implement, administer or enforce the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent finalized rule, “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles.” The rule sets stringent emissions standards for criteria pollutants and greenhouse gasses for certain vehicles. It is the most aggressive tailpipe emissions proposal ever crafted and would require over two-thirds of all new vehicles to be electric by 2032, thus creating a de facto electric vehicle (EV) mandate.
“The Biden Administration’s rule on tailpipe emissions sets unrealistic and unachievable standards that go too far at restricting vehicle choices for American families and pushes our country toward a greater dependence on China,” said Senator Crapo. “Idahoans deserve access to affordable, reliable vehicles of their choice. I urge the Senate to adopt this amendment.”
“First, the Biden Administration tried to bribe Americans to buy EVs, and now they’re trying to mandate that we all do—years before we have a supply chain that we can rely on. While I do not oppose electric vehicles in the marketplace, I am completely against the federal government telling us what type of car or truck American families can buy. This is not the American way. I am proud to co-lead this bipartisan amendment with Senator Crapo to hit the brakes on this misguided rule that increases our dependence on China while weakening our economy and raises costs for American consumers,” said Senator Manchin.
Joining Crapo and Manchin in introducing the amendment are Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) and Mike Lee (R-Utah).
Crapo introduced the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act, S. 3094, on October 19, 2023, to prohibit the EPA from moving forward with its rule or any similar future rules that would limit the availability of new motor vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine type. He also led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to the Administration in February, urging it to withdraw the rule.