Biden’s rule would effectively ban gas-powered cars and trucks

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) announced his plan to force a vote on President Biden’s anti-consumer EV mandate.

Cruz will introduce a disapproval resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) in an effort to overturn a soon-to-be final rule from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that would effectively ban gas-powered vehicles and mandate electric vehicles for American consumers. As proposed, NHTSA’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light-duty trucks would increase the price of a new gas-powered vehicle by nearly $1,000 with, at best, speculative benefits. When combined with the administration’s massive increase in CAFE civil penalties and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) vehicle emissions rule, the expected final rule will raise car prices for consumers and hurt U.S. auto workers.  

“The Biden administration has ignored the wishes of American consumers by declaring war against affordable gas-powered cars,” said Sen. Cruz. “This resolution will take a critical step to reverse this abuse of the executive rule-making process.  I urge my colleagues to join me in blocking the radical environmentalists who want to raise car prices on the backs of American families.”

Background: 

In January 2024, Sen. Cruz and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), along with U.S. Representative Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) led a bicameral coalition of their colleagues in sending a letter calling on NHTSA Deputy Administrator, Sophie Shulman, to rescind the Biden administration’s proposed CAFE standards for passenger cars and light-duty trucks.  

In December 2023, Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) urging Congressional leadership to defund the Biden EPA’s electric vehicle rule, which would effectively require vehicles to be fully electric by 2032.

In October 2023, Sen. Cruz introduced the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act to counter the Biden administration’s executive overreach banning gasoline powered vehicles and establishing an electric vehicle mandate. The bill prohibits the EPA from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing its rule that would limit what cars and trucks Texans can buy under the pretext of emissions reductions.

In May of 2023, Sen. Cruz led the Commerce Committee Republicans in sending a letter highlighting serious concerns that under nominee Ann Carlson, NHTSA would follow the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) lead and adopt California’s extreme push to ban gas-powered vehicles by proposing radical vehicle fuel economy standards that run contrary to the law, diminish vehicle choice, impose higher costs on American families, and undermine our national and energy security all while benefitting China.

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