Providing for Congressional Disapproval of the Rule Submitted By the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to ``Control of Air Pollution From New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards''

Floor Speech

Date: May 23, 2023
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S.J. Res. 11, which nullifies the Biden administration's heavy-duty vehicle emissions rule.

I am proud to have led this effort in the House, and I commend my colleagues in the Senate for swiftly passing this important legislation.

The joint resolution before us today would overturn the EPA's aggressive heavy-duty vehicle emissions final rule, which provides 80 percent more stringent regulations than current standards and unfairly targets our trucking industry. By imposing these new emissions reduction requirements for vehicle models that are made in 2027 and beyond, it will significantly increase the cost of heavy-duty vehicles.

Whether you own an F-250 or a semitruck, this new regulation will directly affect you. According to the EPA, it is projected to cost between $2,500 and $8,300 per vehicle to adhere to this new final rule. Other estimates, such as the one from the American Truck Dealers Association, stated it is closer to $42,000 per truck.

Mr. Speaker, let me be crystal clear today. Woke bureaucrats in Washington are on a climate justice crusade, using the heavy hand of government to go after the trucking industry that keeps America moving.

In the last three decades, we have made significant strides in the right direction to decrease emissions and increase efficiency. Today's new trucks have reduced nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 98 percent since the 1990s.

The EPA's final rule is also ineffective, given that it incentivizes older and higher emitting trucks to operate longer due to the expensive technology required for compliant vehicles.

This is unacceptable and yet another blatant example of burdensome government regulation.

Simply put, the EPA has failed to address legitimate concerns for the trucking industry. However, the EPA unilaterally imposes this detrimental rule, which could lead to a litany of further supply chain disruptions across the country, hit the smaller mom-and-pop trucking companies the hardest, and pass along increased costs to the American consumer.

Amidst record-high inflation and supply chain challenges, more expensive freight costs and fewer truckers on the road will only further perpetuate this problem. This is exactly why it is imperative that the House pass this joint resolution to nullify this burdensome regulation.

I thank OOIDA, Senator Fischer, and the trucking industry for being front and center on this issue. I proudly support our truckers, our small businesses, and progrowth policies to keep our economy strong.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this joint resolution.

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