On December 6, 2023, the House passed H.R. 4468, the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act. This bill is sponsored by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) and cosponsored by 34 others in the House, with a bipartisan companion piece in the Senate led by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) with 33 cosponsors. If passed, it would prevent the EPA from implementing several of its proposed rules that impose strict environmental restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from cars which, in effect, tips the scales away from internal combustion engine vehicles in favor of electric vehicles.

The final vote was 221-197, with 5 democrats crossing the aisle to vote for this critical bill. This is a win for the Energy Marketers of America (EMA) and other stakeholder groups who wrote Speaker Johnson and Democratic Leader Jefferies urging passage of the CARS Act.

Rob Underwood, EMA’s President, shared that “our members have no problem with EVs — many currently offer EV charging. Our issue is with the government reducing competition in the automotive space, and we are proud to stand for the right of every American to purchase the most appropriate car for their families; not the one chosen for them by the EPA.”

The next step will be advocating the Senate take this same vote on behalf of the American people and make the CARS Act law.