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Feenstra, House Republicans Urge Biden to Reject California’s 2035 Ban on Gas-Powered Cars

Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) joined more than 150 of his Republican colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden urging his administration to reject California’s 2035 ban on gas-powered cars. For this ban to take effect, California must receive a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Clean Air Act (CAA) preemption provisions. Feenstra and his colleagues are specifically requesting that this waiver not be granted.

“From banning Iowa pork to gas-powered vehicles, California has demonstrated its complete lack of common sense. While California Democrats push this ridiculous mandate to accelerate their liberal Green New Deal agenda, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has herself admitted that four in five cars will still use liquid fuels by 2050,” said Rep. Feenstra. “I am proud to join my Republican colleagues in urging President Biden to reject this latest charade by liberal elites to impose costly and unreliable electric vehicles on the American people.”

In their letter, the lawmakers wrote, “Proponents of an all-EV fleet have also failed to address questions over the overreliance on hostile nations like China for the critical minerals that are necessary for the manufacture of EVs, charging stations, and batteries. In fact, China controls more than 70 percent of the world’s lithium-ion battery production. While we have long supported the increased exploration and mining for critical minerals within the United States, it seems the loudest supporters of EVs are also the loudest critics of building up our nation’s capacity to secure the materials right here at home. This will help shorten supply chains, which were exposed for their vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic, and reduce the United States’ reliance on China, especially at a time when the latter is projecting military aggression in the South China Sea. Unless the intention is to make it more difficult for Americans to travel and commute, it would be simply impossible to phase out ICE vehicles without addressing these critical mineral concerns.”

In response to high gas prices and concerns over the cost and reliability of electric vehicles, Feenstra has consistently called on the Biden Administration to embrace the endless potential of homegrown Iowa biofuels to secure our energy security and lower fuel prices. For this reason, he also introduced the Comparison of Sustainable Transportation (COST) Act to compare the financial and environmental costs of replacing federal government gasoline-powered vehicles with electric vehicles or E85 capable flex-fuel vehicles.

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