Contact: Noah Sadlier
586-498-7122
Today, Representative John James sent a bicameral letter, alongside Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) and 89 other members of the House and Senate, to Speaker Mike Johnson and Leader Mitch McConnell regarding the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light duty trucks. Specifically, the letter requests leaders in Congress use the “power of the purse” as stated in Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 of the Constitution to defund the unrealistic NHTSA CAFE standards proposal. This latest comply-or-die EV mandate will not only increase the cost of a car by $932 on average, but will also add $58.6 billion total in new cost to automakers – leaving the American consumer to pick up the tab for this administration’s reckless agenda.
Rep. James issued the following statement regarding the letter:
“As a former automotive supplier, I understand the automotive supply chain intimately. I also represent the heart of Michigan’s auto manufacturing industry,” James said. “The Biden Administration’s forced transition to electric vehicles—the ‘comply or die’ mandate being pushed down from the federal government to everyone, from dealers to mechanics to suppliers of all shapes and sizes—will absolutely crater the economy, not to mention trample Americans’ choice in the car they drive. The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse, and I hope leadership will use that tool to curb this administration’s rogue use of federal rulemaking.”
Senator Mike Crapo, the lead signer in the U.S. Senate, issued the following statement in support of the letter:
“This de facto mandate through the federal rulemaking process hurts consumer choice and the affordability of vehicles available to Americans,” said Crapo. “Consequences of rules and regulations such as these raise costs for the average American family. This rule picks winner and losers based on the Biden Administration’s radical green agenda, not free market values and principles.”
The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) also issued the following statement in support of the letter:
“The proposed CAFE standards are essentially an EV mandate which will make vehicles less affordable and significantly reduce consumer choice for working families,” said NADA President and CEO Mike Stanton. “While franchised dealers across the country have over $10 billion in EV investments and commitments, a lack of charging infrastructure and higher prices have dampened consumer demand for EVs. Simply put, these proposed new standards go too far, too fast.”
The American Petroleum Institute also issued the following statement regarding the letter:
“NHTSA’s proposal is yet another attempt by the Biden administration to limit consumers’ access to all affordable and reliable vehicle options. Combined with EPA’s proposed tailpipe emissions standards, these rules are nothing short of a de facto ban on the sale of new vehicles using liquid fuels, which can and should be part of the solution to reduce carbon emissions. We welcome Rep. James’ efforts, along with those of Sen. Mike Crapo, to protect Americans from these deeply misguided and intrusive government mandates,” said Amanda Eversole, Executive Vice President & Chief Advocacy Officer for the American Petroleum Institute.
Click here to read the letter.
###
