Georgia Republicans go to bat for electric vehicles

Public perception is that Democrats are typically more bullish on electric cars and green energy than their Republican counterparts, but "there's nothing partisan about the jobs of the future," Pat Wilson, the GOP commissioner of Georgia's Department of Economic Development, told HuffPost. That's why Republicans are fighting to keep alive plans for an electric vehicle battery plant in Georgia that is set to employ 2,600 workers, HuffPost reports.

The plant is in danger because the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled in favor of the South Korean battery maker LG Chem, which accused its rival SK Innovation of intellectual property theft. The ruling means SK Innovation will be banned from importing what it needs to run the Georgia factory and, subsequently, the company has hired consultants to draft a plan to shut down the plant, which HuffPost notes is "one of the largest economic development projects" in Georgia's history.

Several Georgia GOP officials, including Gov. Brian Kemp (R), want President Biden to take action. Earlier this month, Kemp sent Biden a letter asking him to "exercise the authority granted to you under law to disapprove the ITC ruling on grounds that it is contrary to public interest and will seriously jeopardize your administration's environmental and economic goals." Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) said he hopes Biden "has staff engaged in trying to broker a deal here."

Georgia's Democrats, meanwhile, have mostly been silent. None of the six Democrats in the U.S. House responded to HuffPost's requests for comment. Neither did Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) or anyone from the Georgia Democratic Party. Stacey Abrams reportedly declined an interview request. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) also declined an interview, although he did raise the issue at a Senate confirmation hearing earlier this month.

Biden has 19 days left to veto the ruling, and the White House says they are reviewing the decision. Read more at HuffPost.

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