The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act, prohibiting the EPA from issuing a waiver to California for regulations that would ban the sale of new motor vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE) in the state by 2035, SEMA said in a news release Sept. 21.
The SEMA-supported legislation was introduced by U.S. Rep. John Joyce, R-PA, and passed with bipartisan support---222 to 190, with eight Democrats joining their Republican colleagues.
U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-OK, co-chair of the Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus, introduced a Senate companion bill. The House and Senate versions of the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act now await consideration in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
SEMA thanked Joyce for leading the fight to ensure Americans can choose the type of motor vehicle that best meets their needs.
"The last thing my constituents want is another oppressive Biden Administration mandate that puts a radical environmental agenda and far-left special interests above their individual freedoms," said Joyce. "There is nothing more quintessentially American than the freedom of the open road, and I'm grateful to my colleagues for supporting this important legislation protecting the freedom of all Americans to drive the vehicles of their choice."
House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-WA, shepherded the bill through the committee in July. As chair of the E&C Committee, which has jurisdiction over automotive issues and the Clean Air Act, McMorris Rodgers has been a lead advocate for technology-neutral vehicle policies.
"Seventeen other states have similar bans on internal combustion engines that would be triggered if EPA approves California's request," said McMorris Rodgers. "This affects 40% of the United States' new vehicle market---and companies don't customize cars for every state."
To date, 14 out of 17 CARB states have begun adopting regulations to follow the California zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV) mandate. The existing ZEV regulations are so onerous that Stellantis has stopped shipping gas-powered Jeeps to dealers in those states and customers wanting gas-powered vehicles must place a special order.
Click here to send your U.S. senators a letter asking them to support the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act by co-sponsoring Senate bill 2090.
For more information on these efforts, visit sema.org/advocacy/ice-bans or contact tiffanyc@sema.org.
Abby Andrews