Yesterday, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) sent the below letter to the Senate urging members to vote no on S. 4072, a bill which would block EPA’s cleaner cars rule and prohibit the use of funds to implement, administer, or enforce certain rules of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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April 10, 2024

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

Re: Oppose S. 4072, a bill that would block EPA’s cleaner cars rule

Dear Senator:

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, and the media.

LCV urges you to vote NO on S. 4072, A bill to prohibit the use of funds to implement, administer, or enforce certain rules of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), sponsored by Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID).  If passed, this Appropriations-rider-turned-bill would block EPA’s recently finalized cleaner vehicles standards. Strong emissions limits for cars and trucks are critically important to clean our air, deliver consumers, and tackle the climate crisis. The global 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 because housing segregation and redlining has forced those communities closest to major highways, freight hubs, and high-traffic areas. Strong vehicle standards will help rein in pollution from dirty vehicles to help protect communities and advance environmental justice.

EPA’s improved emissions standards will encourage a wider variety of new vehicles, including cleaner gas cars, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles (EVs). Even when these proposed limits on pollution are implemented, the majority of vehicles across new and used 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 legislation is a blatant attack on the Clean Air Act and 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 S. 4072, which would limit vehicle choices for consumers, hinder climate progress, and put the health of communities at risk. We will strongly consider including vote(s) on this legislation in the 2024 Scorecard. If you would like more information, please reach out to our government relations team.

Sincerely,

Gene Karpinski

President