In response to California banning the sale of diesel trucks, members of Congress launched the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from rubber-stamping state such regulations.
Introduced by U.S. Sens. Markwayne Mullin, Roger Marshall, and Pete Ricketts, as well as earning sponsorship by U.S. Rep. John Joyce in the House, the measure has become a party-line issue. These and other Republicans continue to push back on environmental regulations targeting the trucking industry. Pennsylvania Congressman Joyce recently shepherded the Act through the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
“California regulators shouldn’t have the power to determine what vehicles are sold to families in Pennsylvania. One state should not be able to set national policy, and Americans should not be forced into making purchases they are unable to afford,” Rep Joyce reportedly said.
Other lawmakers across the country have taken exception to non-elected officials setting policies that affect trucking costs outside their state. The Biden Administration’s EPA has issued waivers allowing the Golden State to wield precisely that authority.
“The federal government should not be picking winners and losers that determine which kind of cars Americans drive — whether that’s a gas and diesel car or an electric vehicle,” Ohio Congressman Bob Latta reportedly said. “Yet, if the EPA grants California’s waiver request to ban internal combustion engine vehicles, Americans across the country will lose the ability to choose the vehicle that works best for them and their families.
On the other side of the aisle, Democrats have largely backed emissions reduction measures.
“Ten years from now, when we look back to this day, we can say that California has changed the world,” California’s Air Resources Board member Gideon Kracov reportedly said. “We can say that California did this right.”
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) recently endorsed the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act. In a letter to Congress, the ATA supports amending the Clean Air Act to limit the EPA’s ability to issue waivers to states such as California. The country’s largest trucking advocacy organization has consistently taken the position that timelines for phasing out diesel engines are unrealistic.
“California should not be setting policy for America — that is the responsibility of Congress. It’s no surprise we’re seeing small-business truckers leaving the state in droves for opportunities elsewhere,” Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, reportedly stated.
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