The League of Conservation Voters sent the below letter to the House of Representatives urging Members to oppose H.R. 4468, The Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act of 2023. We also joined 31 organizations in a letter to House leadership expressing opposition to the bill. The League of Conservation Voters will strongly consider including votes related to these amendments in our 2023 National Environmental Scorecard.

December 1, 2023

United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20510

Re: Oppose H.R. 4468, so-called Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act, that would block cleaner cars

Dear Representative:

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) believes that everyone has a right to clean air, clean water, accessible public lands, and a safe climate protected by a just and equitable democracy. Each year, LCV publishes the National Environmental Scorecard, which details the voting records of members of Congress on environmental legislation. The Scorecard is distributed to LCV members, concerned voters nationwide, and the media.

LCV urges you to vote NO on H.R. 4468, the so-called Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act. If passed, this bill would block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from setting cleaner vehicle standards. Strong car and truck emissions standards are critically important to clean our air, deliver consumers savings on the cost of owning a vehicle, and tackle the climate crisis. The current and future competitiveness of our manufacturing and vehicle industries hinges on the shift to zero emissions vehicles, and the federal incentives of the affordable clean energy plan passed last Congress have already resulted in $154 billion of private investments in over 300 electric vehicle projects and 188,000 new jobs.

The transportation sector is the largest source of climate pollution and is a major threat to public health. Exposure to air pollution from light-duty vehicles increases the risk of asthma attacks, strokes, heart attacks, cancer, and premature death. Additionally, low-wealth communities and communities of color are disproportionately exposed to this dangerous pollution. Our country’s harmful history of housing segregation and redlining has forced such communities to areas closest to major highways, freight hubs, and high-traffic areas. Strong vehicle standards can help rein in pollution from dirty vehicles to help protect communities and advance environmental justice.

Improved emissions standards for new vehicles will not restrict consumer choice or force consumers to buy electric vehicles (EVs) – even when these proposed limits on pollution are implemented over the rest of this decade, the majority of vehicles across new and used car markets will still be gas-powered. And, the availability of EV models is expanding very rapidly, boosting, not limiting, consumers’ choices. Research from Consumer Reports indicates it is cheaper to buy and operate the most popular EVs than similar gas vehicles because of EVs’ drastically lower fueling and maintenance costs.

This bill is a blatant attack on the Clean Air Act and the EPA, and would undermine our ability to drive down vehicle pollution and spur the domestic auto manufacturing economy. We urge you to vote NO on H.R. 4468, which would limit vehicle choices for consumers, hinder climate progress, and put the health of communities across the country at risk. We will strongly consider including vote(s) on this bill in the 2023 Scorecard. If you would like more information, please reach out to our government relations team.

Sincerely,

Gene Karpinski

President

COALITION LETTER:

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Speaker Mike Johnson, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Members of the House of Representatives:

On behalf of our millions of members and supporters, we write in strong opposition to the H.R. 4468, The Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act of 2023 (Walberg, MI-5), which will soon be considered by the House of Representatives.

H.R. 4468, The Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act of 2023, aims to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing” the Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles, the comment period of which just ended on July 5, 2023. EPA’s proposal, which, if finalized, is expected to result in $850 billion to $1.6 trillion in benefits, is necessary to reduce harmful vehicle pollution and Congress should reject short-sighted attempts to prevent the regulation from being enacted. The transportation sector is currently the largest source of greenhouse gases (GHGs), and passenger vehicles are responsible for over half of the transportation sector’s GHGs. In addition to setting technology-neutral greenhouse gas standards, EPA’s proposal also sets lower standards for smog-forming pollution and particulate matter emissions, which disproportionately harm vulnerable populations. These life-saving rules must be finalized.

Rather than recognize the twin crises of unmitigated climate change and public health impacts from transportation pollution and the transition to zero-emission vehicles underway this bill aims to stem the tide of progress towards clean air and a healthy future. We need to move forward, not backward. H.R.4468 should be rejected outright.

Sincerely,

Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

Center for Biological Diversity

Clean Energy for America

Climate Action Campaign

Coltura

Conservation Law Foundation

Dream.Org

Ecology Center (of Michigan)

Elders Climate Action

Electric Vehicle Association

Environmental Defense Action Fund

Environmental Law & Policy Center

Environmental Protection Network

EV Charging for All Coalition

Evergreen Action

EVHybridNoire

GreenLatinos

Hip Hop Caucus

Interfaith Power & Light

League of Conservation Voters (LCV)

Moms Clean Air Force

Mothers Out Front

National Consumer Law Center, on behalf of our low-income clients

Natural Resources Defense Council

Plug In America