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President Joe Biden is facing a barrage of criticism as his administration is on the verge of finalizing its most ambitious regulations yet to phase out gas-powered vehicles in favor of electric alternatives.
The initiative, first proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency in April 2023, is expected to be finalized as early as Wednesday, requiring automakers in the United States to rapidly electrify their inventory starting in 2027. Under the regulations, nearly 70 percent of new sedans, crossovers, SUVs, and light trucks would be electric by 2032, while up to half of buses and garbage trucks could become electric by then, according to the White House.
Critics of the regulations describe the initiative as a de facto mandate to bring about electric vehicles and accuse Biden of prioritizing his own political agenda over the welfare of ordinary Americans. "This is purely being done for campaign reasons—to really appease the leftist large donor base that are the climate alarmists that are driving this movement towards really what is a forced energy transition, which is just increasing the cost of everything," American Energy Institute president Jason Isaac told Fox News.
Chet Thompson, president of American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, told Fox News the Biden administration's regulations are "bad for consumers, the economy, and national security" and "will sacrifice our hard-won U.S. energy strength for even greater dependence on China and the EV battery and mineral supply chain China controls."
Rep. Randy Feenstra (R., Iowa), meanwhile, in comments to Fox News condemned Biden for pushing more costly electric cars on the American public even though Americans "are already facing financial hardship under the weight of inflation spurred by trillions in wasteful government spending."
The House in December voted 221-197 to pass a resolution to block the EPA’s regulations, although the Senate has yet to vote on the legislation. "Biden’s mandate has always been unrealistic, and a textbook study on how central planning and Bidenomics simply do not work," Rep. Tim Walberg (R., Mich.) said after the House vote. "Mandating EVs has never been a responsible or affordable solution. ... Americans should always have the option to buy whatever car suits them the best and the House has taken a massive step toward ensuring that opportunity still exists."
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