Austin News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has announced his plan to force a vote on President Biden’s forthcoming electric vehicle (EV) mandate.

Cruz intends to introduce a disapproval resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) in an effort to overturn a soon-to-be final rule from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The rule would effectively ban gas-powered vehicles and mandate electric vehicles for American consumers. As proposed, NHTSA’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light-duty trucks would increase the price of a new gas-powered vehicle by nearly $1,000 with speculative benefits at best. When combined with the administration’s increase in CAFE civil penalties and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) vehicle emissions rule, the expected final rule is anticipated to raise car prices for consumers and impact U.S. auto workers.

“The Biden administration has ignored the wishes of American consumers by declaring war against affordable gas-powered cars,” said Sen. Cruz. “This resolution will take a critical step to reverse this abuse of the executive rule-making process. I urge my colleagues to join me in blocking the radical environmentalists who want to raise car prices on the backs of American families.”

In January 2024, Sen. Cruz and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), along with U.S. Representative Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), led a bicameral coalition in sending a letter calling on NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman to rescind the Biden administration’s proposed CAFE standards for passenger cars and light-duty trucks.

In December 2023, Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) urging Congressional leadership to defund the Biden EPA’s electric vehicle rule, which would effectively require vehicles to be fully electric by 2032.

In October 2023, Sen. Cruz introduced the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act to counter what he described as executive overreach by banning gasoline-powered vehicles and establishing an electric vehicle mandate. The bill prohibits the EPA from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing its rule that would limit what cars and trucks Texans can buy under emissions reduction pretexts.

In May 2023, Sen. Cruz led Commerce Committee Republicans in sending a letter expressing concerns that under nominee Ann Carlson, NHTSA would follow California's lead by proposing radical fuel economy standards that could diminish vehicle choice, impose higher costs on American families, undermine national energy security while benefiting China.