Austin News

U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Crapo, along with Representative Tim Walberg, have led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in sending a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Deputy Administrator, Sophie Shulman, demanding the rescission of the Biden Administration's proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light-duty trucks. The proposed standards, which do not comply with federal law, seek to phase out gas-powered vehicles and mandate the mass production of electric vehicles.

In the letter, the senators expressed their concerns about the proposed standards and how they would impact the American people. They stated, "NHTSA's proposed standards, when coupled with the Environmental Protection Agency's distinct, extreme tailpipe emissions proposal, amount to a de facto mandate for electric vehicles (EVs) that threatens to raise costs and restrict consumer choice, harm U.S. businesses, degrade our energy and national security and hand the keys of our automotive industry over to our adversaries, especially China."

The senators believe that the proposed standards are merely a symbolic gesture to showcase the current administration's climate agenda and would have limited impact on emissions. Instead, they urge the NHTSA to put forth a workable proposal that complies with the law and better serves the American people.

Senator Cruz has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration's attempts to promote electric vehicles at the expense of gas-powered vehicles. He has previously sent letters to Congressional leaders urging them to defund the Biden Environmental Protection Agency's electric vehicle rule and has introduced the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act to counter the executive overreach banning gasoline-powered vehicles.

This latest letter is another step in Senator Cruz's efforts to protect consumer choice and the American automotive industry. The senator has consistently highlighted his concerns about the impact of proposed emissions standards on American-made vehicles and has called for a study on the carbon footprint of electric vehicles.

It remains to be seen how the NHTSA will respond to the senators' demands. However, this coalition of lawmakers is determined to ensure that the rights of consumers and the American automotive industry are protected.