Republican Congress Leads Bill to Protect Automobile Choice

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Washington, D.C. July 6, 2023; Today, Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-05) and Andrew Clyde (GA-09) led 18 colleagues in introducing the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act of 2023. This critical legislation would prohibit the Biden administration from implementing aggressive emission standards for light and medium-duty vehicles that limit consumer choice. The CARS Act also prevents future EPA vehicles emissions regulations that would mandate certain technologies or limit the availability of vehicles based upon engine type. The EPA announced these proposed regulations in April of 2023 with the intent of advancing the deployment of electric vehicles. This rule would require over two-thirds of all new vehicles to be electric by 2032.

“The Biden administration cannot continue to create regulations that limit consumer choice, hamper mobility, make vehicles more expensive for families, and cede America’s auto leadership and jobs to China,” said Rep. Walberg. “Hardworking Americans have already experienced months of runaway inflation and high energy costs, and these efforts will only further increase the financial burden on Americans who cannot afford to purchase electric vehicles. This legislation would put a stop to this executive overreach, allowing consumers to have the freedom to decide what car works best for them and their families and preventing auto manufacturers from being forced to meet unrealistic mandates driven by the President’s Green New Deal agenda.”

“From restrictions on gas stoves to gas-powered vehicles, the Biden Administration’s destructive energy policies are nothing more than thinly veiled attempts to expand government control into Americans’ daily lives," said Rep. Clyde. "Restricting consumer choice to advance the Left’s Green New Deal agenda represents an illegitimate power grab that hardworking Americans – already burdened by soaring energy prices and record-high inflation – simply cannot afford. Furthermore, President Biden’s plan to force families and workers across the country to purchase pricey electric vehicles ultimately hurts Americans’ wallets while simultaneously enriching China, one of our greatest adversaries and a very dominant force in the EV market. In response, the CARS Act provides a commonsense solution to protect both American consumers and auto manufacturers from the Biden Administration’s radical climate agenda and dangerous government overreach.”

The Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act

The Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act would stop this executive overreach by preventing the implementation of regulations that seek to limit consumer choice, instead allowing consumers to choose the vehicle that best meets their needs. The legislation would:

Prohibit the EPA from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing its proposed rule titled “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Year 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles”
Prohibit the use of authority under the Clean Air Act to issue regulations that mandate the use of any specific technology or that would limit the availability of new motor vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine type
Require the EPA to update any regulations that result in the limited availability of new vehicles based upon that vehicle’s engine within two years
End the EPA’s radical agenda, which is driving up costs for people and handing the keys of America’s auto industry to China

Background

In April 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed rule titled “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Year 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles.” This rule would set stringent emissions standards for criteria pollutants and greenhouse gasses for these vehicles, and the EPA has projected that due to these aggressive standards, over two-thirds of all new vehicles will be electric by 2032. This proposal has raised serious concerns regarding the accessibility of affordable vehicles for the average American consumer. According to data from Kelley Blue Book, the average price of an electric vehicle was over $17,000 more than the average price of a gas-powered vehicle. This expense would come in addition to the extra $10,000 families nationwide have spent over the last two years due to the economic crisis fueled by inflation.

In response to a similar rule, the EPA's "Control of Air Pollution From New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards," both the House and Senate passed S.J.Res. 11, which provides for congressional disapproval. However, President Biden vetoed the resolution, continuing to advance his administration’s rush-to-green agenda.