The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act (H.R. 4468) in the coming week. This legislation, originally introduced by Representative Tim Walberg (MI-5) earlier this year, would prohibit the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from finalizing its proposal to require roughly 70% of new car and truck sales to be “zero tailpipe emission” in less than 10 years.
EPA’s proposal, which ignores every category of emissions except for tailpipe emissions, is a de facto ban on liquid-fuel-powered cars and trucks and, by extension, the American-made fuels they run on. This bill would not interfere with EPA’s ability to set ambitious vehicle emission standards. Instead, it simply specifies that EPA must remain technology neutral in setting standards and cannot mandate or limit access to vehicles arbitrarily based on their powertrain technology.
In October, companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and this bill was initially reviewed as part of a legislative package in a June hearing in the House Energy & Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Materials. AFPM President & CEO Chet Thompson testified in support of this legislation during that hearing and has been vocal against proposals that ban gas- and diesel-fueled vehicles, as it is bad for consumers, bad for our economy and indefensible from a U.S. energy security perspective.
AFPM maintains that it is essential to preserve consumer choice and allow individuals and families to continue selecting the cars and trucks that work best for them. This legislation protects our freedom of choice as well as an industry that provides thousands of good, family-supporting jobs and is an economic anchor in many communities.
Industry employees, contractors, friends and family are encouraged to contact their members of Congress to urge their support for this critical legislation. Learn more at AFPM|EMPOWER.
The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) is the leading trade association representing the makers of the fuels that keep us moving, the petrochemicals that are the essential building blocks for modern life, and the midstream companies that get our feedstocks and products where they need to go. We make the products that make life better, safer and more sustainable — we make progress.
