"While EVs may play a large role in the future of the auto
industry, Washington should not discount other technologies like
hydrogen, hybrids, and the internal combustion engine," said
Republican Tim Walberg, a sponsor of the legislation.
The 221 to 197 vote, which included five Democrats joining 216
Republicans, drew a veto threat from the White House, which said
it would "catastrophically impair" the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) ability to issue automotive
regulations.
Former President Donald Trump, who is seeking to return to the
White House, has vowed to reverse the Biden administration's
electric vehicle rules.
The EPA said in April the proposed 2027 to 2032 standards would
cut emissions by 56% compared to the existing 2026 requirements,
or 13% annual average pollution cuts.
The agency projects the rules would cut more than 9 billion tons
of carbon dioxide emissions through 2055 - equivalent to more
than twice total U.S. CO2 emissions last year. Final rules are
expected early next year.
Automakers, auto dealers and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union
have called on the Biden administration to finalize a less
stringent proposal.
The UAW, which represents workers at General Motors, Ford Motor
and Chrysler parent Stellantis, said in July the EPA proposal
should "better reflect the feasibility of compliance so that the
projected adoption of (zero emission vehicles) is set to
feasible levels, increases stringency more gradually, and occurs
over a greater period of time."
A group representing major automakers has called for
significantly softening requirements, saying the EPA proposal
was "neither reasonable nor achievable."
Toyota Motor has called the EPA proposal stringency requirements
"extreme and outside historical norms."
The auto trade group called the proposal a "de facto battery
electric vehicle mandate."
Representative Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the Energy and
Commerce Committee, said Wednesday Republicans were trying to
"legislate away years of innovation in cleaner transportation to
put polluters over people."
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Jamie Freed)
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