US House votes to block what GOP calls Biden's electric vehicle 'mandate'

The U.S. House on Wednesday approved legislation that would, in theory, block the Biden administration from enacting tough, new fuel standards that could virtually require two-thirds of all new cars sold in the U.S. to be electric vehicles within a decade.

That legislation, proposed by U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, passed 221-197. But it isn't likely to go anywhere, with Democrats in majority control of the U.S. Senate and President Joe Biden having already promised to veto it if it reached him.

Instead, the vote was seen as more of a move by Republicans, who hold a narrow majority in the U.S. House, as a way to force Democratic colleagues to take a public stand to protect the standards.

GOP members argue those standards — proposed earlier this year and still not finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — amount to a government mandate forcing consumers to buy more expensive electric vehicles (EVs) at a time when the infrastructure and technology to support their widespread adoption may not be available. But Democrats and environmentalists say EV adoption is necessary to fight climate change.

And while Detroit automakers have said the EPA proposal may be too aggressive, they have been making a transition to producing many more EV models in the years to come.

More: Detroit automakers say Biden administration rule change could cost them billions

"It's just disappointing that yet again, another Republican messaging bill is coming to the floor intentionally to mislead and harm the America people," U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, said Wednesday during debate on the Walberg legislation.

She reminded members how Japanese carmakers in the 1970s and '80s took advantage of high gas prices to dominate the domestic small car market when domestic automakers were slow to respond and said the same thing could happen with Chinese EVs unless U.S. manufacturers transition to make more of them now. "We took a beating (then) and we cannot make that mistake again," she said.

Earlier Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Bruce Township, held a news conference with other GOP legislators, including Walberg and U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, "to make it clear to our leaders that preventing the EPA rule from taking effect... is a top priority for Republicans in the House and in the Senate." Last month, McClain led a letter signed by some 200 lawmakers to House and Senate leaders demanding that no funding be included in any appropriation bill to implement the standards.

Democrats and the Biden administration have argued that the standards as written are technologically neutral, meaning they don't mandate how automakers would need to hit the proposed greenhouse gas emission marks for new models between 2027 and 2032.

But since there's virtually no other technology readily available or under development that would allow automakers to hit those standards, it suggests the Biden administration — which has rolled out new tax subsidies for EV buyers and manufacturers as well as starting a program to install charging stations across the country — expects widespread EV adoption to be a big part of the outcome.

At the time the proposed standards were rolled out, the administration said they could be met if EVs accounted for some 67% of new car sales by 2032, a staggering change from the 6% of sales in 2022. There has also been a slowdown in EV demand. Under the rules, automakers could pay hefty penalties if they miss tailpipe emission standards set by EPA and mile-per-gallon standards set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"The Democrats are saying this isn't a mandate," said Walberg. "That proves they haven't read the bill or won't deal with the facts... The only way that can be met... is with electric vehicles."

Walberg's bill would prohibit the EPA from enacting any tailpipe emissions rules that mandate a specific technology to reach them or "result in (the) limited availability of new motor vehicles based on the type of new motor vehicle engine in such new motor vehicles."

James also noted that some 3,000 auto dealers signed a letter telling Biden to soften the standards. "The federal government should never force a choice (on) what you do with your money," said James. "Americans deserve choice in the vehicle they drive."

Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: US House votes to block what GOP calls Biden's EV vehicle 'mandate'