President Biden has vetoed part of the EPA rule in the Clean Trucks Plan, which went into effect in March.
Last month, the House of Representatives voted to repeal the EPA rule.
In his veto, Biden wrote that the resolution “would deny communities these health benefits by resulting in weaker emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles and engines, which are significant sources of pollutants that threaten public health. If enacted, the resolution would squander $36 billion in benefits to society — and an opportunity to lead on the defining crisis of our time.”
Texas Republican Rep. Troy E. Nehls, who introduced the EPA rule, called the EPA’s rule on buttoning up large commercial truck emissions “yet another example of burdensome federal regulation and would unfairly target the trucking industry and pass costs for the American consumer and small businesses, all in the name of the Biden Administration’s woke climate change agenda.”
Republican Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, said Biden “chose to prioritize his extreme environmental agenda over bipartisan pushback from Congress.”
Fischer further said that the veto “is more than just a slap in the face to truckers, who transport nearly every consumer good. Pushing this excessive regulation forward will also raise prices for families already grappling with inflation. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues on ways to push back against these devastating government mandates.”
Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President and CEO Todd Spencer expressed disappointment at the president’s decision.
“We thank the Democrats and Republicans in Congress who put politics aside in support of small-business truckers simply trying to navigate wave after wave of EPA regulations,” Spencer said in a statement. “As the White House issues their veto, EPA is working to finalize another round of burdensome emission requirements and pushing for electric commercial trucks without any practical concern regarding purchasing costs, mileage range, battery weight, or charging availability.”
