CEI’s The Surge: CRA resolutions, IRA reform, and more
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Welcome to the latest edition of The Surge! In this edition:
– This week, the Senate may vote on EPA’s waiver allowing California’s gas car ban
– Trump issues new executive order to protect home appliance consumers
– The IRA fight continues: Congress must use a sledgehammer not a scalpel on the “green” subsidies
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This week the Senate may vote on California waiver CRA resolutions
Based on reports, it appears that the Senate may take up the CRA resolutions on the California waivers this week. This is a major development and passage is critical. The EPA waivers were given to Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II), which requires 100 percent of new passenger car and pickup truck sales to be zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2035; Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT), which imposes increasing percentage-of-sales requirements on manufacturers of medium- and heavy-duty trucks during 2024-2035; and Heavy-Duty Low NOX Omnibus Regulation, which puts pressure on manufactures to accelerate compliance with the ACT program. The Senate CRA resolutions are: S.J. Res 45 (addressing ACC II), S.J. Res. 46 (addressing ACT) and S.J Res. 47 (addressing the Heavy-Duty Low NOX Omnibus Regulation).
CEI sends letter to the Senate regarding CRA resolutions on California waivers
CEI sent a letter to the Senate on the importance of passing three Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions to rescind the Biden EPA’s California waivers, including its waiver for California’s gas car ban. The letter argues, “There is no overstating the importance of passing these resolutions. The expansive scope and devastating effects of the waivers have aroused bipartisan opposition. Fortunately, the CRA gives the Senate a real chance to protect Americans from an unlawful, harmful, anti-consumer choice agenda.”
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IRA reform: Sledgehammer not a scalpel
Not a single Republican in the House or Senate voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, yet some Republicans are arguing for a scalpel approach to the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) “green” subsidies. Most Republicans have talked about undoing the Green New Deal. If they are going to do that, then they must take a sledgehammer to these subsidies. CEI has developed a new report that provides key background and analysis on the subsidies and includes useful charts listing over 50 of the subsidies, broken down by issue area and agency.
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- Why IRA energy subsidies should be dismantled: A guide (For the best functionality, click here to open this document in Adobe Acrobat)
Thirty-eight house republicans show leadership on the IRA subsidies
Congressional Republicans were unanimous in their opposition to the Green New Deal when it was introduced in 2019, and for very good reason given that it would waste vast sums of tax dollars foisting unwanted and uneconomic energy choices on us all. And when these expensive climate provisions became law in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), they did so without a single congressional Republican vote in support. But now that the government has begun to dole out potentially trillions of dollars in IRA subsidies, a few House and Senate Republicans are balking at the chance for complete repeal in the upcoming budget reconciliation package. Fortunately, a May 1 letter from 38 House Republicans to the Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means makes a convincing case for unwavering opposition to all of these ill-advised measures.
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Lawmakers introduce bill to eliminate IRA “green” tax subsidies
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has introduced the Energy Freedom Act in the Senate that would repeal over 20 IRA “green” tax subsidies. Reps. Josh Brecheen (R-OK) and Chip Roy (R-TX) have introduced the companion bill in the House. CEI’s Daren Bakst stated, “I commend Senator Lee, Representative Brecheen, and Representative Roy for their leadership on the Energy Freedom Act. Support for this legislation should be a no-brainer for conservative lawmakers and anyone who believes in individual freedom, fiscal responsibility, and the importance of affordable and reliable energy.”
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New executive order is a win for home appliance users
Earlier this month, President Trump issued an executive order to the Department of Energy to reduce federal limits on water use by appliance as much as possible. These water limits have made appliances slower and less effective, frustrating consumers and limiting their choices. President Trump’s new executive order marks a return to consumer choice—allowing Americans to purchase appliances that are faster, more effective, and better suited to their needs.
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FEATURING OUR FRIENDS
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Electric Vehicles, Ronald Stein, P.E., Heartland Institute.
House Tax Bill Doesn’t Kill Green New Deal Subsidies Fast Enough, Adam N. Michel & Joshua Loucks, Cato Institute.
CAFE Standards: From Energy-Security Measure to Backdoor EV Mandate, Andrew Weiss & Diana Furchtgott-Roth, The Heritage Foundation.
Don’t Fall for the Phase-Out Fallacy, Thomas J. Pyle, Kenny Stein, & Alexander Stevens, Institute for Energy Research.
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