Sioux City Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra (R-IA) and Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) have led over 150 colleagues in a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan, urging the Biden administration to overturn its mandate on electric vehicles for trucks, tractors, buses, and semis.

The final rule, titled “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3,” was published on April 22, 2024.

“The Biden administration’s mandate that impacts all trucks, tractors, buses, and semis would strain our supply chains, hurt our farmers, harm our economy, and increase costs for every single American. On top of inflation, poor economic conditions, and other regulations, this de facto EV mandate on our truckers, manufacturers, farmers, and dealers will hike the cost of groceries, utility bills, and everyday goods that American families rely on. It’s also a deliberate attack on liquid fuels – including homegrown Iowa biofuels – that are vital to our energy, economic and national security,” said Rep. Feenstra. “I’m glad that over 150 of our colleagues joined us on our mission to overturn this burdensome mandate and maintain choice for both manufacturers and consumers alike.”

“Heavy-handed environmental policies do more harm than good. Regulations like these raise costs for Americans and push our country toward greater dependence on China,” said Sen. Crapo. “We deserve a choice in the cars and trucks that we drive.”

“ATA remains opposed to EPA’s current GHG3 rule,” stated Henry Hanscom from the American Trucking Association. “The current state of available zero-emission technology makes the post-2030 targets entirely unachievable.”

Lawmakers emphasized that the final rule would disrupt the heavy-duty truck industry by enforcing broad adoption of zero-emission vehicles despite their current market share being less than 1%. They cited a study estimating nearly $1 trillion in infrastructure investment alone would be required to fully electrify the U.S. commercial fleet.

“Our farmers will be especially hurt by this new mandate,” lawmakers noted. The latest agriculture census indicates there are millions of trucks and tractors across U.S farms that would face higher equipment costs due to this rule.

The full letter is available online.

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