EPA Official Testifies before House subcommittee on Proposed Emissions Regulations
The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs heard testimony earlier today from Joseph Goffman, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator in the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation (OAR).
Members of the Republican majority expressed concerns with the EPA's proposed regulations that would place more stringent limitations on tailpipe emissions. The Biden Administration estimates that these rules would result in EVs comprising 67% of all new car sales in 2032. Republicans' concerns included affordability and choice for American consumers, infrastructure and electric grid preparedness, EPA lawmaking authority, and dependence on China for certain materials.
Democrats defended the proposed rules primarily on the basis that it would mitigate climate change, improve community health by reducing diseases such as asthma (particularly in communities of color), reduce foreign energy dependency, and generate good-paying jobs.