House Passes GOP-Led Electric Vehicle Bill
[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]
The recent passage of legislation specific to electric vehicles in the U.S. House of Representatives is the latest effort from congressional Republicans pushing back on the Biden administration’s transportation agenda.
The End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act, sponsored by Rep. Carol Miller (R-W.Va.), was passed on Sept. 12 by a vote of 217 to 192. The Senate has yet to schedule a vote on the measure.
The legislation’s mostly Republican backers touted its aim. “The End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act takes steps to ensure that Chinese companies can no longer benefit from electric vehicles tax credits meant for U.S. manufacturers,” Miller said.
The member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee continued: “The Biden-Harris administration has put out regulations on the electric vehicle tax credit that have excluded some of the inputs used to make EVs, giving China unlimited access to the U.S. supply chain.”
The House just took a bipartisan vote to pass the End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act to stop our adversaries from taking U.S. tax credits.
I call on Senate Democrats to protect American manufacturers & our national security from the influence of the CCP. pic.twitter.com/dAuktMJCMt — Rep. Carol Miller (@RepCarolMiller) September 12, 2024
Republican leaders who secured the bill’s passage in the chamber highlighted key provisions. The bill would block certain incentives for EVs found to contain materials extracted, processed, manufactured or assembled in prohibited foreign entities. According to the measure, its provisions pertain to the “battery from which the electric motor of such vehicle draws electricity.’’
Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, observed: “China’s growing influence in our economy, our educational institutions, our military installations and our farmlands is an undeniable threat to American sovereignty.”
“American taxpayer dollars should not be used for an electric vehicle credit in an industry propped up by China. I commend [Rep.] Miller’s leadership in keeping China out of American electric vehicle production,” noted Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
TT's Seth Clevenger and Mike Senatore dive into the details behind the 2024 Top 100 Private Carriers list. Tune in above or by going to RoadSigns.ttnews.com.
“Through forced labor practices, market distorting subsidies and illegal trade mechanisms, China for years has manipulated the global marketplace for electric vehicles and their components. Instead of using the critical minerals in our own backyard to compete, the Biden-Harris administration has put an effective ban on recovering those minerals in the U.S., furthering China’s competitive advantage,” added Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), Ways and Means chairman.
During the Biden administration, senior Republicans on Capitol Hill have consistently pushed back on efforts meant to compel businesses and motorists to transition away from fossil fuels. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), ranking member on the Commerce Committee on freight policy, for instance recently called on colleagues to oppose certain Biden-era proposed EV mandates. The senator explained this summer: “The Biden administration has ignored the wishes of American consumers by declaring war against affordable gas-powered cars.”
Want more news? Listen to today's daily briefing above or go here for more info
The Biden White House expressed strong opposition to the House-passed measure. On Sept. 11 the Office of Management and Budget stated the bill “would disrupt the market, threaten the more than $175 billion in investments made to date in the U.S. electric vehicle, battery component, and critical minerals supply chains, raise prices for consumers, slow the shift of vehicle and battery supply chains away from foreign entities of concern in covered nations including China, and undermine U.S. national security.”
The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, referred to as the bipartisan infrastructure law, dedicated billions of dollars for EVs and emerging transportation technologies. In August, Secretary Pete Buttigieg defended the Department of Transportation’s agenda. As he put it, “The Biden-Harris administration has taken action to ensure that America leads the EV revolution, and the historic infrastructure package includes resources to support a nationwide EV charger network so that all drivers have an accessible, reliable and convenient way to charge their vehicles.”
