Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) voiced her concerns about the current Administration’s push for electric vehicles (EVs) in a fiery statement this week on Capitol Hill. She warned that the mandates coming from the White House could have adverse effects on farmers and certain markets.
While there is widespread support for reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainability, Sen. Ernst believes that this approach could inadvertently hurt the livelihoods of many hardworking farmers.
“I agree that we can move to sustainable aviation fuel, but I’m telling you, when you have a mandate coming from the federal government, this administration—that half of the new vehicles being sold will be EVs—it sounds like they’re forcing the farmers out of the market,” Sen. Ernst said.
The senator’s remarks come in the wake of the Biden Administration’s aggressive push toward a greener future for the transportation industry.
To address her concerns, Sen. Ernst is sponsoring a new piece of legislation introduced this session called the “Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act.”. The Republican-backed bill aims to protect the rights of consumers, including farmers, to choose the vehicles that best suit their needs without government-imposed mandates.
The bill, co-sponsored by Rep. John Joyce (R-PA), saw significant progress in the House of Representatives, with lawmakers passing it with a majority vote on Sept. 14. Now, all eyes turn to the Senate as the bill makes its way through the legislative process.
The Biden Administration also released a statement
strongly opposing the bill, saying in part:
“The Administration strongly opposes passage of H.R. 1435, which would amend the Clean Air Act (CAA) to preclude EPA from issuing federal preemption waivers for California pollution standards that directly or indirectly limit the sale or use of new motor vehicles with internal combustion engines. If enacted, the EPA Administrator would also be required to revoke any waiver that does not comply with this requirement granted under section 209(b) from January 2022 to the date of enactment of the bill.”
The Administration’s statement went on to say that the bill would directly affect the State of California’s ability to regulate vehicle emissions and “address its severe air pollution challenges.”
