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As a conservationist and outdoorsman, I support policies that protect the air, water, and land that Americans breathe, drink, and live our lives. I support Congress protecting the environment, and I also believe that any actions must be economically feasible, have rational transition periods, and not be a heavy detriment to American businesses, consumers, and our competitiveness on the world stage. This can be accomplished with smart and realistic planning.
Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) recent gas car ban does not strike the appropriate balance of both protecting our environment and protecting businesses and consumers. In fact, this ban is just the latest action from the Biden Administration to infringe on Pennsylvanians' and Americans' freedoms, disrupt their daily lives, and cause economic strife across our country. Instead of committing to American energy security, Biden has chosen to submit America to the whims of foreign governments such as Iran and Venezuela when it comes to energy, and China when it comes to EVs.
In a recent ruling, the EPA finalized a mandate on cars requiring that at least 56% of passenger vehicles must be electric within less than eight years, regardless of whether Americans want or can afford them. Despite sales of Electric Vehicles reaching just 6.9% of new vehicle market share in 2023, the Biden Administration thinks that electrifying over half of all cars sold by 2032 is achievable. With EVs costing upwards of $40,000 – $50,000, and the median household income in the United States being $74,580, hardworking families simply cannot afford such an aggressive and costly mandate.
The EPA also announced its strictest-ever limits on heavy-duty trucks, that go far beyond the reality of today. The Clean Freight Coalition reported that electrifying the truck industry today could cost almost $1 trillion in upgrades to infrastructure, the electric grid, and vehicles nationwide. Per the President of the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association, Jed Mandel, this mandate "will end up being the most challenging, costly, and potentially disruptive heavy-duty emissions rule in history."
Not only will these rules make cars and trucks more expensive, but they will hinder an industry vital to Pennsylvania - freight shipment and trucking. TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit, estimates that Pennsylvania's freight system moved $1.1 trillion worth of goods in 2022, the fifth largest in the U.S. Tens of thousands of jobs supported by the trucking industry are at risk due to rising costs, fewer work opportunities, and less reliable fueling infrastructure. This economic impact will be felt across my District, as Pennsylvania's supply chain and small businesses rely on shipment every single day.
Unfortunately, S.4072, legislation that would have prohibited the implementation of these onerous EPA rules, recently failed in the Senate. I was not surprised to see both of Pennsylvania's U.S. Senators vote against this bill, despite the significant economic implications such mandates will have on the Keystone State.
Infringing on Americans' long-enjoyed freedoms as a consumer is one thing, but to push an EV agenda without proper infrastructure in place to support it is entirely another. We simply do not have enough charging stations, nor will we in the next seven and a half years, to support a market that is 56% electric vehicles. Perhaps it will take hundreds of EVs being stranded on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in a snowstorm for the Biden Administration to recognize the error of its ways. It will take innovation on the part of entrepreneurs to get our EV infrastructure where it needs to be to accommodate a mandate such as this, but this President has an irrationally hasty agenda and weakens pro-growth innovation at every turn, including letting the Trump-era Research and Development Tax Credit expire.
Further, Pennsylvania's and the United States' electric grid and battery market will be much more vulnerable to blackouts, which have already plagued different parts of the U.S. in recent years. We need to be realistic. The American electrical grid cannot withstand such a dramatic usage increase, particularly as the Biden Administration's EPA implements rules that will limit America's ability to produce energy. Just last month, the EPA finalized a rule that would require coal plants that plan to stay open beyond 2039 to cut or capture 90% of their carbon dioxide emissions by 2032. The rule sets unrealistic standards and is effectively attempting to force coal plants to retire, despite coal generating more than 16% of our nation's electricity. This rule was issued despite coal plants having dramatically decreased their carbon emissions in recent years due to innovative technology. I also cannot fail to mention the Biden Administration's constant assault on the natural gas industry, which produces 43% of the United States' electricity - all while being 50% cleaner than foreign natural gas.
As former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Jon Wellinghoff, said, "power quality issues are likely to 'only get worse' with larger adoption of electric vehicles." Federal policymakers cannot afford to oversimplify the electrification process in favor of their environmental agendas.
Additionally, the subsidies and tax credits included in the Inflation Reduction Act are putting our national security at risk by prioritizing the purchasing of electric vehicles reliant on foreign-made materials. In January, seventeen retired military officials sent a letter to President Biden warning that China's overwhelming dominance in the EV market opens the U.S. to economic manipulation. As a country, we cannot shift into this space without relying on China. In short, Biden is forcing American households to be subject to China's price hikes, political whims, and EV resources.
Simply put, the EPA gas car ban is wrong for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and it's wrong for the U.S. Whether you're an auto worker, business owner, or just a regular family that wants to buy a car that works best for your household, this mandate will affect us all. To put consumers, workers, and energy security first, these harmful rules and the assault on our gas-powered auto economy must be stopped.
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, represents part of Lycoming County and surrounding counties.