Congressman Doug LaMalfa issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency announced it would be approving two waivers under the Clean Air Act that grant California permission to phase out gas cars in the state.
“The Biden-Harris EPA has just done exactly what they promised they wouldn’t — telling Americans what kind of cars we can drive.” LaMalfa said. “By approving California’s plan to ban the sale of new gas and hybrid vehicles by 2035, they’ve pushed an agenda that will only hurt consumers. This policy isn’t just bad for Californians; it will raise costs and limit choices for families across the country. It’s yet another example of Democrats forcing their radical agenda on the American people, all while undermining our energy independence and national security. These electric vehicles can’t charge when the power is out from storm, wind, or wildfires – something we regularly face in California. An ice storm two years ago in Nevada County stranded everyone with an electric car in their homes because cold rapidly emptied batteries. This plan doesn’t work in rural America. This is the kind of top-down decision that Americans rejected at the polls, and it’s clear why the EPA waited until after the election to make it happen.”
The two approved waivers would give California unprecedented authority to enforce the nation’s most aggressive electric vehicle mandates.
The first waiver allows state officials to mandate that all new car sales transition to zero-emission vehicles within the next decade, setting a new national benchmark for strict environmental standards.
The second waiver lays the groundwork for requiring 35 percent of new cars and light-duty truck sales to be zero-emission by 2026, with a dramatic 90 percent reduction in emissions by 2027.
About Doug LaMalfa
Congressman Doug LaMalfa is a lifelong farmer representing California’s First Congressional District, including Lassen, Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama and Yuba counties.
