Eight Democrats joined House Republicans in passing a bill aimed at pushing California to phase out gas-powered vehicles by 2035.
The decision comes after the EPA reinstated a waiver giving California the right to set air quality standards different from those of the federal government, paving the way for other states to adopt the same regulations. The rule issued by the California Air Resources Board will mandate that all fresh cars sold in California by 2035 be zero-emission vehicles.
The Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act, passed by a 222-190 vote, seeks to amend the Clean Air Act so that sales of internal combustion engines cannot be eliminated.
HR1435 would amend federal law to block attempts to eliminate the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles. Moreover, these regulations would limit the EPA’s ability to issue any waivers prohibiting the sale or utilize of fresh motor vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines. The Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchasing Act was introduced in response to the California Air Resources Board’s decision to effectively ban the sale of fresh combustion engine vehicles by 2035 to force automakers to stop developing and producing fresh gas-powered vehicles. motor vehicles. (Representative Joyce)
“California regulators should not have the authority to decide what vehicles are sold to Pennsylvania families,” Republican John Joyce, who introduced the bill this summer, said in a statement. “One state should not be able to set national policy, and Americans should not be forced to make purchases they cannot afford.”
GOP Rep. Bob Latta of Ohio agreed, noting that the primary issue is “protecting the rights of the American consumer and allowing free markets to flourish.”
“The federal government should not be picking winners and losers when deciding what types of cars Americans drive – whether it’s a gas and diesel car or an electric vehicle,” Latta said in a statement. “However, if EPA grants California’s request to waive its right to ban internal combustion engine vehicles, Americans across the country will lose the opportunity to choose the vehicle that is best for them and their families.”
BREAKING: The House passed my legislation to repeal California’s ban on gas-powered cars. Today’s vote is a victory for American consumers and personal freedom. pic.twitter.com/vai4van8Mc
— John Joyce, MD (@RepJohnJoyce) September 14, 2023
Eight Democrats joined their Republican colleagues in voting for the bill: Reps. Yadira Caraveo and Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico, Jim Costa of California, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Donald Davis of North Carolina, Jared Golden of Maine, Brian Higgins of New York, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington.
This measure is largely symbolic because it is unlikely to gain support in the Democrat-controlled Senate. The White House also issued a statement “strongly” opposing its adoption.
” [Biden] The Administration strongly opposes the adoption of H.R. 1435,” the U.S. Office of Management and Budget said in a statement on Tuesday. “Congress protected [California’s] power to address their unique and ongoing air quality challenges and empower other states to adopt the innovative clean car and truck technologies that California has pioneered.”
