U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-GA, is leading the way in pushing legislation that would prohibit the Biden Administration from implementing aggressive emission standards for light and medium-duty vehicles that severely limit consumer choice. Clyde was joined by 19 colleagues in introducing the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act of 2023 which he says allows consumers to choose the vehicle that best meets their needs.
The legislation is in response to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issuing a proposed rule titled “Multi-Pollutant Emission Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles,” which establishes extreme vehicle emission standards to advance the deployment of electric vehicles. The EPA proposed rule would set stringent emissions standards for criteria pollutants and greenhouse gasses for gas-powered vehicles, and the White House says, would provide a “clear pathway for a continued rise in EV sales.
Due to these aggressive standards, the EPA projects that over two-third of all new vehicles will be electric by 2032. The White House projects that 67 percent of new sedan, crossover, SUV and light truck; up to 50 percent of bus and garbage truck; 35 percent of short-haul freight tractor; and 25 percent of long-haul freight tractor purchases could be electric by 2032.
This move by Clyde could cause an awkward situation between the Georgia Congressman and Gov. Brian Kemp – who is staking much of his legacy on electric vehicles.
But Clyde is standing firm with the introduction of the legislation. “From restrictions on gas stoves to gas-powered vehicles, the Biden Administration’s destructive energy policies are nothing more than thinly veiled attempts to expand government control into Americans’ daily lives,” said Clyde. “Restricting consumer choice to advance the Left’s Green New Deal agenda represents an illegitimate power grab that hardworking Americans – already burdened by soaring energy prices and record-high inflation – simply cannot afford.
“Furthermore, President Biden’s plan to force families and workers across the country to purchase pricey electric vehicles ultimately hurts Americans’ wallets while simultaneously enriching China, one of our greatest adversaries and a very dominant force in the EV market. In response, the CARS Act provides a commonsense solution to protect both American consumers and auto manufacturers from the Biden Administration’s radical climate agenda and dangerous government overreach,” Clyde added.
The Choice in Retail Automobile Sales (CARS) Act would:
● Prohibit the EPA from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing its proposed rule titled “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Year 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles.”
● Prohibit the use of authority under the Clean Air Act to issue regulations that mandate the use of any specific technology or that would limit the availability of new motor vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine type.
● Require the EPA to update any regulations that result in the limited availability of new vehicles based upon that vehicle’s engine within two years.
