Boise, ID — Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador and 24 states challenged the Biden Administration’s most radical regulations yet on tailpipe emissions. The President’s plan would forcibly phase out gas-powered vehicles and restructure the automobile industry around electric vehicles (EVs) at a breakneck pace. The draconian proposal aims to boost certain EV sales from 8.4% of total vehicle sales today to 67% by 2032.
Attorney General Labrador joined the Kentucky and West Virginia-led coalition in a letter opposing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plan, arguing the move would damage our economy, undermine the reliability of our electrical grids, tax the families and businesses who depend on them, and threaten our national security.
“The Biden administration, to gain support from the progressive left, has decided to essentially force a new climate tax on Americans. The President’s plan forcibly phases out gas-powered vehicles, despite the program failing to meet the environmental and economic goals it purports to achieve. We will not willingly allow the Biden administration to appease their base at the expense of the everyday American,” Attorney General Labrador said.
Kentucky and West Virginia’s coalition argues that the aggressive shift to EVs is counterproductive and misguided. America’s power grids not only lack the capacity to accommodate the proposed rule’s new demands but are also nowhere near secure enough to handle them safely. EPA’s plan also hinders American energy independence and makes the country less secure.
The attorneys general highlight how the Biden Administration’s fast-and-furious approach to electrification will have devastating consequences for the automotive supply chain. America would be weaker and more dependent on foreign adversaries like China, which supplies many of the minerals necessary for electric vehicles.
The average EV sold for $61,448 at the end of 2022. Now is not the time for the federal government to complicate the manufacturing process for cars and raise the average price significantly. Consumers are already experiencing record inflation, historic gasoline prices, and high utility bills. Since President Biden took office, food prices are up over 18%, and energy prices are up over 37%. Home prices have also surged more than 27% in fewer than three years. Many consumers will be unable to afford EVs even if they want them.
To read the letter sent by the attorneys general, click here. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey are joined by: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.