Ninth District Representative Andrew Clyde and Rep. Tim Walberg from Michigan sponsored legislation to block President Biden’s effort to toughen automobile emissions. The house passed the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales, or CARS Act, which would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing a proposed rule that tighten emissions standards.
Background
On April 12th, 2023, the EPA issued a proposed rule titled "Multi-Pollutant Emission Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles," establishing extreme vehicle emission standards to advance the deployment of electric vehicles. The proposed rule would set stringent emissions standards for criteria pollutants and greenhouse gasses for gas-powered vehicles. Due to these aggressive standards, the EPA projects that over ⅔ of all new vehicles will be electric by 2032.
The Choice in Retail Automobile Sales (CARS) Act stops the Biden Administration's 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
