Should Congress restrict the EPA from issuing waivers for states that want to ban the sale of motor vehicles with internal combustion engines?
This bill would restrict the EPA from issuing waivers for any state regulations that would ban the sale of new motor vehicles with internal combustion engines. It would prevent the California Air Resources Board from placing new requirements that would phase out the sale of new internal combustion engine cars and light trucks in favor of electric vehicles by 2035. The 17 other states that would follow in California’s lead would also be prevented from placing such requirements.
Sponsor: Rep. John Joyce (Republican, Pennsylvania, District 13)
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How do you feel?
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Opponents say
• "Our cars shouldn’t make wildfires worse and create more days filled with smoky air. Cars shouldn’t melt glaciers or raise sea levels threatening our cherished beaches and coastlines." Source: California Governor Gavin Newsom
• "The fastest way to make the biggest dent in slowing the effects of global warming is to embrace cleaner cars. Many other countries have already committed to this goal, and I’ve been working tirelessly for years to make this transition happen in California." Source: Democratic Assemblymember Phil Ting
Proponents say
• "Every American should be able to choose the type of car or truck they want to drive, restricting consumer choice by eliminating competition and banning entire vehicle power trains is the wrong path to achieving cleaner transportation or supporting U.S. energy security; in fact, it could undercut both. Liquid fuels are an irreplaceable part of meeting future energy demand and will play an important role in reducing the carbon intensity of transportation." Source: Chet Thompson, President & CEO of American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers
• "We have seen time and time again that heavy-handed government intervention - like California’s proposal to ban internal combustion engine vehicles - limits consumer choice and infringes upon Americans’ freedoms when choosing what’s best for themselves and their families. California’s misguided proposal will have ramifications that go well beyond its own borders and will have ramifications that go well beyond its own borders and would make it more difficult for Americans to get to work, drop their kids off at school, and travel to visit loved ones. I am pleased to help lead this effort in Congress along with Reps. Joyce, Bilirakis, and Obernotle to help preserve American’s choice when it comes to deciding which vehicle they want - and can afford - to drive." Source: Representative Bob Latta (Republican, Ohio District 5)
• "In places like my rural California district where many people commute several hours to work every day just to feed their families, electric vehicles are not only unaffordable, but also impractical - especially when residents are asked to unplug their vehicle chargers to accommodate the state’s failure to produce sufficient electricity. We need a market-based approach that will enable continued competition in the marketplace and push electric vehicles to be better and more affordable while enabling people to make their own choices about what type of car to drive. That is the economic system that our nation was built on, and our government should not be permitted to regulate away that freedom. " Source: Rep. Jay Obernolte (Republican, California District 23)
