Washington D.C. – U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) have joined forces with U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) and over 150 other lawmakers in a bicameral letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan. The letter urges the Biden Administration to reverse its de facto mandate for electric vehicles on trucks, tractors, buses, and semis.
The rule in question, titled “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3,” was published on April 22, 2024. The lawmakers argue that the rule will have detrimental effects on families, businesses, and the agricultural sector, warning that it will raise gas prices and increase dependence on foreign supply chains, particularly from China.
The letter highlights the potential impact on the agricultural industry, citing data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture which shows that there are over 3.1 million trucks and nearly 3.8 million tractors on U.S. farms that would face higher costs due to the rule. The lawmakers express concern that small, independent truckers and trucking companies would struggle to afford the transition to electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles, potentially forcing them out of business and leading to greater industry consolidation.
“We urge you to withdraw your final rule that is both unrealistic and burdensome,” the letter states. “This rule will only further increase costs for American families, businesses, and rural communities while fueling more inflation. We need to give Americans a choice in the cars and trucks that they drive, and affordability and performance for the trucking industry is paramount.”
Senator Britt, has alwasy stated she is a strong advocate for consumer choice in vehicle types, is also a cosponsor of Senator Crapo’s Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act. This act aims to prohibit the EPA from implementing the electric vehicle mandate for passenger cars and trucks or any similar future rules that would limit the availability of new motor vehicles based on engine type.
Additionally, Senator Britt is a cosponsor of Senator Markwayne Mullin’s (R-Okla.) Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act. Earlier this year, she joined a group of lawmakers in calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to rescind the Biden Administration’s proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light-duty trucks, which would phase out gas-powered vehicles and mandate the mass production of electric vehicles.
