Big Setback For Biden As Congress Shoves EPA Scheme Back In His Face

In a rare rebuke for a sitting president, the Republican-controlled U.S. House and Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate voted to overturn a radical Biden administration rule restricting truck emissions.

The bill is now headed to Biden's desk, where he is expected to veto it, possibly setting up an additional vote of Congress on whether to overturn a veto.

The legislation from U.S. Senator Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and U.S. Representative Troy Nehls, R-Texas, would overturn an aggressive new EPA regulation on heavy-duty vehicle emissions. 

Legislators point out Biden's regulation would not only devastate the trucking industry and raise costs for consumers with an estimated $55 billion in new compliance costs, it would not benefit the environment as claimed, as it would incentivize older, less efficient trucks to stay on the road.

The bill passed U.S. House of Representatives passed the legislation by a vote of 221-203, after passing in the U.S. Senate by a vote of 50-49. West Virginia Democrat Senator Joe Manchin, facing a tough reelection, voted with all Republicans in favor.

“I'm glad to see the House pass our legislation to stop this aggressive Biden regulation because every American consumer will feel the effects of this rule and its price increases. Raising costs and driving truckers out of business isn't just bad for the transportation sector — it would be devastating for an economy still reeling from the impacts of inflation. I encourage President Biden to reevaluate his misguided veto threat and sign this bipartisan bill into law,” said Fischer.

“The EPA's final rule is yet another example of burdensome federal regulation and would unfairly target the trucking industry and pass costs for the American consumer and small businesses, all in the name of the Biden Administration's woke climate change agenda,” said Nehls.

“The ineffective rule would also force truckers to keep older and higher-emitting trucks on the road longer because of the expensive technological components needed to adhere to the stringent regulations. This out-of-touch rule will not do anything to address the real concerns of the trucking industry,” Nehls added.

A statement from Fischer's office explains:

The EPA finalized its rule on new emissions standards for heavy duty vehicles on December 20, 2022. The rule's new standards cover nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other air pollutants including particulate matter (PM), hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide (CO). The rule would also change requirements regarding emission control systems and emission-related warranties.

The EPA estimated that the technology required to meet the new rule's standards will cost between $2,568 and $8,304 per vehicle. The American Truck Dealers Association estimates it is more likely a $42,000 increase per truck. In total, the EPA projects the associated costs of this new regulation on the country could reach $55 billion over the lifetime of the program.

The EPA's regulation would be challenging to implement and make new, compliant trucks cost-prohibitive. By increasing the cost of a new truck, the regulation actually incentivizes keeping older, higher-emitting trucks in service longer. It would also likely force many “mom & pop” commercial trucking operations out of business while encouraging larger trucking operations to pass these higher costs onto consumers.

Adding new financial burdens on the trucking industry would increase the cost of any product transported by trucks, including food, clothing, and other commodities.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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