Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04)

 Exactly six months ago, the Biden-Harris Administration’s EPA announced its overreaching and unrealistic vehicle tailpipe emissions rule, which is essentially a de facto ban on the sale of gas-powered and traditional hybrid vehicles, forcing automakers to produce and sell more electric vehicles (EVs). This tone-deaf rule was just another attempt by the Biden-Harris Administration to cater to extreme climate activists.

Not only are EVs proven less reliable than vehicles with internal combustion engines, but they can also present major financial challenges for consumers in rural areas, like much of the 4th District. This is a reality that can’t be ignored. To make matters worse, scientific data shows that the Biden-Harris Administration’s preposterous push for electrification may actually do more harm than good for our environment.

If all U.S. passenger cars and light-duty trucks were magically converted to EVs overnight, global greenhouse gas emissions would [theoretically] only be reduced by less than 1% (0.89%), according to data from the U.S. Government. That statistic doesn’t even consider the embedded carbon in EVs due to the massive amounts of mining and mineral processing required to build EVs, nor does it consider the added electricity generation required to meet the needs to power that many EVs. On top of all this, we’re handing the keys to China to produce EV batteries, while taxpayers foot the bill for hundreds of billions of dollars to fund it. This is not only flawed science and lousy policy but would also result in devastating environmental outcomes and economics.

While EVs are an innovative technology that may be right for some consumers, they are not the solution for long-term and meaningful emissions reductions. They certainly should not be forced onto the American consumer by the federal government, nor should taxpayer dollars fund their production under the false guise of saving the planet.

I am committed to standing up to onerous rules like this that threaten Americans’ consumer rights. I’m proud to share that this week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.J. Res 136, a Congressional Review Act (CRA), that I cosponsored to overturn the EPA’s asinine tailpipe vehicle emissions rule. CRAs are tools that Congress can utilize to protect Americans from overreaching rules issued by federal agencies, such as this one. H.J. Res 136 will be a major step in safeguarding our environment and defending Americans’ consumer choice. With the Passage of this CRA, we’re ensuring that American consumers – not the Biden-Harris EPA – decide for themselves what vehicle works best for their families.