Congressman August Pfluger | Congressman August Pfluger Official website
Congressman August Pfluger | Congressman August Pfluger Official website
Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) has joined a group of lawmakers in calling for the withdrawal of the Biden Administration's proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light-duty trucks. The proposed standards, which aim to double the average fleet-wide fuel economy in less than 10 years, would effectively mandate the mass production of electric vehicles (EVs) and phase-out gas-powered cars and trucks.
"The federal government does not have the right to dictate what type of vehicle Texans can or cannot drive," said Rep. August Pfluger. "I speak for rural America when I say President Biden does not know the first thing about our vehicle needs. This effort to take away gas-powered cars and trucks will not be tolerated."
In a letter addressed to U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman, the lawmakers express their deep concern with the proposed CAFE standards. They argue that these standards are another attempt by the Biden Administration to impose its climate agenda on American families through the rulemaking process.
"The proposal issued in July is mere virtue signaling for this Administration's extreme climate agenda, but it would actually have only limited impact on emissions while strengthening foreign adversaries and harming American workers and consumers," the lawmakers state in the letter. "We strongly urge NHTSA to drop its attempt at central planning and instead put forth a workable proposal that complies with the law and better serves the American people."
The letter, signed by a bicameral group of 121 lawmakers, highlights the concerns of those who believe that the proposed CAFE standards do not comply with federal law and would have negative consequences for American workers and consumers.
This call for the withdrawal of the EV mandate reflects the concerns of many lawmakers who believe that the government should not have the power to dictate the types of vehicles people can drive. They argue that the proposed standards do not take into account the specific needs of rural America and would ultimately harm American workers and consumers.
It remains to be seen how the Biden Administration and the NHTSA will respond to this request from Rep. August Pfluger and other lawmakers. The full letter can be viewed here.