US House Republicans Blast EPA Refusal to Appear at EV Hearing

May 17, 2023

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by David Shepardson (Reuters) The Republican majority on a U.S. House of Representatives panel criticized two Environmental Protection Agency officials who declined to appear at a hearing Wednesday on a proposal by President Joe Biden's administration's to cut vehicle emissions and boost sales of electric vehicles.

A spokesperson for the House Oversight Republican majority said "the EPA’s excuse for not appearing before this week’s subcommittee hearing is devoid of logic" noting EPA Administrator Michael Regan's recent testimony.

A House Oversight subcommittee had invited Office of Transportation and Air Quality director Sarah Dunham and Office of Air and Radiation official Joseph Goffman to appear at the hearing titled "Driving Bad Policy: Examining EPA’s Tailpipe Emissions Rules and the Realities of a Rapid Electric Vehicle Transition."

Last month, the EPA proposed sharp emissions cuts that it estimates would result in 60% of new vehicles by 2030 being electric and 67% by 2032. The EPA projects the 2027-2032 model year rules would cut more than 9 billion tons of CO2 emissions through 2055 with net benefits through 2055 from the proposal range from $850 billion to $1.6 trillion.

EPA said the requested witnesses had previously scheduled meetings with lawmakers and others Wednesday preventing their participation and because the proposed rules "are currently open for public comment."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not yet new proposed fuel economy standards.

Steven Bradbury, a Transportation Department official under former President Donald Trump, will tell lawmakers "by acting on its own, in advance of NHTSA, to dictate draconian new reductions in carbon dioxide emissions limits for future model years of vehicles, EPA has rendered entirely irrelevant NHTSA’s judgment about the appropriate fuel economy standards for those same vehicle fleets."

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told Reuters last week NHTSA would "soon" unveil its fuel economy proposal.

Last week, an auto trade group warned the EPA proposal may rely on a too rapid transition to EVs and poses significant challenges. READ MORE

Biden preps 'greatest single regulatory action' on climate: EPA is expected to offer more than one option for slashing tailpipe emissions. (E&E News Greenwire)

Republicans attack tailpipe rule, EV prices: House Republicans said EPA was overstepping its authority on a new rule meant to limit vehicle emissions. (E&E News Climatewire)

New Tailpipe Rules Will Choke Big Auto’s Profits (Bloomberg/Washington Post)

More than 150 Republicans unite to condemn Biden's 'ill-considered' electric vehicle push (Fox News)

151 House Republicans urge EPA to stop tailpipe rules -- Almost the entire Republican Conference is unified against the administration's plan. (Politico Pro/E&E Daily)

Senate Republicans want EPA to drop plan to cut emissions, boost EVs (Reuters)

151 House Republicans Demand EPA End Their Effort to Dictate the Cars that Americans Drive (U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee)

Excerpt from E&E News Climatewire: House members sparred over EPA’s new tailpipe regulations, with Republicans saying the agency is overstepping its boundaries and forcing the country to adopt electric vehicles.

During a hearing Wednesday, Democrats argued that the car industry is already moving away from internal-combustion engines.

About two-third of passenger cars and 40 percent of heavy-duty trucks are expected to be electric or emissions-free by 2032 under two separate EPA tailpipe regulations that were announced in April. The proposed regulations would limit smog, soot and carbon from cars and trucks starting with model year 2027.

“Republicans are … deeply concerned by the Biden administration's apparent attempt to hijack the auto industry, strangle consumer choice and determine what products are best for the American people," said Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas), who chairs the House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs.

The EPA rules wouldn't mandate that car makers produce electric cars or trucks; instead, they set a low enough pollution threshold that many high-emissions vehicles won't be able to comply with. READ MORE

Excerpt from Fox News: Gas car crackdown is Biden's latest effort to 'commandeer America’s transportation sector and force its complete vehicle electrification,' Republicans wrote -- A coalition of 151 House Republicans, including top leadership members, has written to the Biden administration condemning its recent environmental regulations aimed at forcing more electric vehicle (EV) purchases.

The letter, sent Monday to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan, was led by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and joined by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and a number of committee chairmen.

The GOP members argued in the letter that the EPA's recent regulations targeting gas-powered vehicle tailpipe emissions – actions the administration said would lead to increased EV adoption – would lead to higher costs for consumers, isolate Americans living in rural regions and increase U.S. economic dependence on China.

"We write to express deep concerns with the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles and heavy-duty trucks," the GOP lawmakers wrote. "The proposals are the latest effort by the Biden administration to commandeer America’s transportation sector and force its complete vehicle electrification under the guise of mitigating climate change."

In April, the EPA proposed the vehicle pollution standards which, if finalized, would impact car model years 2027 through 2032. The White House said the regulations would "protect public health" by achieving carbon emission reductions of nearly 10 billion tons by 2055 and would save consumers an average of $12,000 over the lifetime of vehicles.

The administration also projected the sweeping measures would "accelerate the clean vehicle transition" and reduce oil imports by 20 billion barrels.

Overall, if the regulations are finalized, a staggering 67% of new sedan, crossover, SUV and light truck purchases could be electric by 2032, the White House projected. In addition, up to 50% of bus and garbage truck purchases, 35% of short-haul freight tractor and 25% of long-haul freight tractor purchases could be electric by then.

"The projected statistics are a far cry from the current EV market share of 4.5%, making these standards a deliberate market manipulation to prop up EVs," McMorris Rodgers and the other Republicans wrote Monday.

"Furthermore, a rapid shift toward EVs would benefit only the Chinese Communist Party, as China has a stranglehold on the critical minerals supply chain and manufacturing of EV batteries," they stated in the letter.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), though, China produces about 75% of all lithium-ion batteries, a key part of EVs, worldwide. The nation also boasts 70% of production capacity for cathodes and 85% for anodes, two key components of such batteries.

More than 50% of lithium, cobalt and graphite processing and refining capacity is located in China, the IEA data showed. Those three critical minerals, in addition to copper and nickel, are vital for EV batteries. Chinese investment firms have also been aggressive in purchasing stakes in African mines, especially those rich with cobalt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in recent years to ensure a firm control over mineral production. READ MORE

Excerpt from U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee: Proposed Standards Will Make it Harder for Americans to Afford New Cars -- 151 House Republicans, led by Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), today sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan urging him to rescind the agency’s proposed emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles and heavy-duty trucks. The EPA’s ill-conceived effort is just their latest attempt to carry out President Biden’s radical rush-to-green agenda, which will take away Americans’ choice when it comes to the kind of vehicle they drive—and arm-twist people into buying vehicles they can’t afford.

Excerpts and highlights from the letter:

"We write to express deep concerns with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) proposed standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles and heavy-duty trucks. The proposals are the latest effort by the Biden administration to commandeer America’s transportation sector and force its complete vehicle electrification under the guise of mitigating climate change.

"The light- and medium-duty vehicle proposed standards are unworkable and impractical. EPA estimates that the proposed standards would lead to electric vehicles (EVs) accounting for 67 percent of new light-duty vehicle sales and 46 percent of new medium-duty vehicle sales in the United States by model year 2032. The projected statistics are a far cry from the current EV market share of 4.5 percent, making these standards a deliberate market manipulation to prop up EVs. Furthermore, a rapid shift towards EVs would benefit only the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as China has a stranglehold on the critical minerals supply chain and manufacturing of EV batteries. For example, China currently controls 50 to 70 percent of global lithium and cobalt refining that are necessary for EV batteries.

"Additionally, EVs are not necessarily better for the environment in terms of emissions reductions. Specifically, over its lifetime, an EV only has lower emissions than an internal combustion engine vehicle if it travels between 28,069 and 68,160 miles and remains in service for more than 10 years – circumstances which are not being realized today.

"Worst of all, the proposed standards would make life harder and even more unaffordable for Americans and their families. According to Kelley Blue Book, the average price of an EV is $65,291, which is $17,197 more than the average price of an internal combustion engine vehicle. Insurance for electric cars costs $206 per month on average, which is $44 more per month than insuring a gas-powered car. Pricing is especially important, because access to a car is tied to improved economic outcomes for low-income households. Americans should not be forced into paying an excessive amount for a car they do not want and cannot afford. Also, the lack of driving range continues to be a problem with EVs. Forcing rural America into a largely EV future is condemning these communities into isolation.

"Given that the recent EPA announcement was only a proposal, we strongly urge you to rescind this ill-considered effort. Americans want the ability to choose the vehicle that best meets their needs, that is reliable, and that they can afford -- not be forced into buying an EV."

CLICK HERE to read the full letter.

NOTE: The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee held a hearing on April 19 to expose the environmental, human rights, and national security risks of the Biden Administration's rush-to-green policies. CLICK HERE to watch the hearing and read opening statements and witness testimony.