GOP Senators Concerned About Biden’s Highway Nominee

Senate Republicans Raise Concerns Over Biden’s Nominee for National Highway Transportation Administration

Senate Republicans are sounding the alarm over President Joe Biden’s choice to head the National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA), who has a track record of promoting green energy mandates for the automobile industry. Ann Carlson, currently the acting head of the NHTSA, needs Senate authorization to take up the post on a more permanent basis.

Opposition to Electric Vehicle Mandate

Republicans are particularly concerned about Carlson’s potential support for a recent rule proposed by the EPA that would increase the number of new electric vehicles (EVs) to 60 percent of all new cars by 2030. Republicans say this is a tenfold increase over current levels and is too much. They fear that Carlson, with her past environmentalist positions, would use her position to bolster and expand the EPA’s EV rule.

“The standards laid out by the EPA are so stringent they effectively mandate automakers produce electric vehicles even if Americans do not want them,” wrote Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in a letter signed by other Republicans.

Fuel Economy Standards

As the acting head of the NHTSA, Carlson “oversaw the issuance” of the agency’s 2024 to 2026 fuel economy standards, which set the minimum mileage per gallon for new vehicles. Carlson’s standards would require 2024 vehicles to average 44.3 miles per gallon (mpg), 2025 vehicles to average 48.2 mpg, and 2026 vehicles to average 53.5 mpg.

With current technology, fuel-based cars are generally unable to come even close to this level of fuel efficiency. This would, over time, edge most fuel-based cars out of the market, a scheme that is in line with the Biden administration’s goal of drastically reducing the number of fuel-based cars on the road.

Concerns Over Carlson’s Record

Republicans are concerned that Carlson’s past record of promoting green energy mandates for the automobile industry will lead her to propose similarly radical vehicle fuel economy standards that run contrary to the law, diminish vehicle choice, impose higher costs on American families, and undermine national and energy security, all while benefiting China.

After the NHTSA’s fuel economy standards were released, West Virginia, Montana, and several other states filed a lawsuit, alleging that the standards exceeded NHTSA authority.

“As chief counsel, you had a responsibility to ensure that NHTSA’s proposed regulations complied with the law,” Republicans admonished Carlson. “However, you instead took actions that were c