David Shepherdson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly voted on Friday to repeal clean vehicle regulations adopted in March to cut tailpipe emissions 50% by 2032 compared to 2026 levels.
House Republicans said the Environmental Protection Agency’s final rules for light- and medium-duty vehicles are too strict and will force automakers to ramp up production of electric vehicles, effectively driving gasoline-powered cars out of the U.S. market. The White House said President Joe Biden would veto the bill if it is approved by the U.S. Senate.
The House voted 215-191 in favor of the bill, with eight Democrats and 207 Republicans in favor.
Republican Rep. John James called the restrictions “devastating” for the auto industry. “No one here is against battery electric vehicles, but I am against telling the American people how to spend their money,” he said.
If passed, the bill would repeal the EPA rule and prevent the agency from imposing regulations in the future.
Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, said Republicans want to “repeal commonsense clean air protection measures.”
“This puts corporate polluters’ profits above the health and safety of the American people.”
Pallone said transportation accounts for nearly a third of all climate emissions and is subject to EPA regulation.
The EPA’s final rule, adopted in March, lowered the target for U.S. EV penetration by 2032 from 67% to 35% after backlash from industry and auto workers and won support from Ford Motor Co. and environmental groups.
The EPA said the rules would reduce emissions by 49% by 2032 compared to 2026 levels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7.2 billion tonnes by 2055.
Republican President Donald Trump has vowed to repeal the rule if elected president. The final rule also faces lawsuits from many Republican states and oil industry groups.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ Democratic presidential campaign has said she does not support an EV mandate, but points out that the Biden administration is pushing legislation to increase tax credits and incentives for EV and battery production.
(Reporting by David Shepardson and Rod Nickel Editing)
