Ricketts: Biden EPA’s EV Mandate “Completely Delusional”

March 20, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) announced Congressional Review Act legislation with Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) to block the Biden administration’s electric vehicles mandate. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized a new emissions rule for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles that would require up to two-thirds of new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. to be electric vehicles (EVs) in eight years.

“President Biden’s EV mandate is completely delusional. It’s foolish. It’s just plain wrong,” Ricketts said. “We lack the power generation, infrastructure, and domestic supply chain of critical minerals to make Biden’s mandate work. The end result of this EV mandate will be higher prices, greater dependence on the Chinese Communist Party, and less choice for consumers. Biden’s actions today will make it harder for Americans to buy and maintain a vehicle. That’s unacceptable.”

“When we first heard about this mandate last year, I promised to fight it with every tool I have. Now that this rule is finalized, we’re taking action in the U.S. Senate. Senator Dan Sullivan and I are introducing Congressional Review Act legislation to overturn Biden’s EV mandate,” Ricketts closed. “I want tokeep vehicle costs down. I want to prioritize solutions that reduce our dependence on foreign adversaries like China. I want to protect consumer choice and give Nebraska agriculture the tools they need to thrive. Passing our legislation will do all of these things.”

TRANSCRIPT:

Senator Ricketts: “Today’s final tailpipe emissions rule for light and medium cars and trucks is just another example of Washington D.C. bureaucrats ignoring the consequences of their policies for the rest of America.

“The Biden Environmental Protection Agency announced a mandate today that will require two-thirds of all new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. to be electric in just eight years. That’s an EV mandate.

“The Biden administration knows what a bad idea this is. The path out of poverty is [access to a vehicle.] Biden knows forcing people to only buy expensive EV’s, while we still have stubbornly high inflation, will further hurt families trying to achieve the American Dream.

“The administration knows how dangerous it is to increase our dependence on China, who controls the critical minerals needed to make EV’s. They know picking winners and losers and eliminating consumer choice goes against our values.

“President Biden’s EV mandate is completely delusional. It’s foolish. It’s just plain wrong.

“We lack the power generation, infrastructure, and domestic supply chain of critical minerals to make Biden’s mandate work.

“The end result of this EV mandate will be higher prices, greater dependence on the Chinese Communist Party, and less choice for consumers. Biden’s actions today will make it harder for Americans to buy and maintain a vehicle. That’s unacceptable.

“Auto ownership is a pathway out of poverty for tens of millions of Americans. The average cost of an EV last year was $53,000. A low-income family spends on average $12,000 for a vehicle. The Biden rule pushes their American Dream of a better financial future further out of reach.

“It’s essentially banning internal-combustion engines.

“Car graveyards and dead robots will be a reality across America because EVs just don’t work in extreme cold. On a 0-degree Nebraska day, there is no world where it’s feasible to pull off to charge for two hours.

“Nebraska is the beef state, and I can guarantee that electric trucks are not a practical solution for our livestock haulers.

“I want to keep vehicle costs down. I want to prioritize solutions that reduce our dependence on foreign adversaries like China. I want to protect consumer choice and give Nebraska agriculture the tools they need to thrive. Passing our legislation will do all of these things.”