The Senate voted Wednesday afternoon to pass a bill that would repeal a Biden administration measure that would require states to track and set reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles on their highways.
The chamber is joined by all Republicans, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Rep. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Rep. Joe Manchin (D-Va.). ) approved the resolution by a vote of 53-47. I’ll vote yes. The bill was introduced in February by Sen. Kevin Cramer (D), Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-Virginia), and Sen. Manchin.
“There is nothing more frustrating to the government than unelected bureaucrats claiming powers they don’t have and imposing mediocrity on the federal government,” Cramer said on the floor Wednesday. .
“illegal control”
“The Senate has rejected the Biden administration’s clearly illegal rule that would require state departments of transportation to measure tailpipe carbon emissions and then set targets for reducing the number of vehicles on each state’s highway system. “I will adopt my bipartisan resolution to overturn it,” he continued.
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Regulations targeting highway carbon emissions are part of President Biden’s broader climate change initiative. (Getty Images)
The resolution is in response to regulations finalized in November by the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the agency said. support president biden A “whole-of-government approach” to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at the time that the regulation would give states flexibility to set their own climate goals.
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excessive authority
But Mr. Cramer and other lawmakers argued that the FHWA overstepped its congressional authority in issuing regulations that effectively imposed performance measures on state departments of transportation and urban planning organizations. Cramer said Congress did not explicitly prohibit the measure and accused the FHWA of justifying the rule.
“The Biden administration should never have introduced this rule, but now we, the policy-making arm of the government, must end it,” the North Dakota Republican said.
Traffic moves along I-75 during the morning commute in Dallas, Texas. (Cooper Neal/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Following the Senate vote, the bill will move to the House of Representatives, where it is being co-sponsored by Representative Rick Crawford (R-Arkansas) and Transportation Chairman Sam Graves (R-Missouri). A companion bill was introduced by. But the White House issued a statement ahead of Wednesday’s vote saying Biden would veto the bill if it passes.
Passage of the resolution also comes on the heels of two federal courts ruling in favor of a coalition of more than 20 states and industry groups, repealing FHWA regulations.
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“The Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration remain committed to supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s climate change goals of cutting carbon pollution in half by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.” a spokesperson recently told FOX News Digital. “We are reviewing the court’s decision and determining next steps.”
