Staff Reports
The U.S. Senate has recently given the old heave-ho to a pesky regulation from the Federal Highway Administration (better known as the FHWA), that was trying to make states measure and set goals for cutting down on carbon emissions from vehicles traveling on the national highway system. This regulation, called Reg. 2125-AF99, was released back in November 2023 as part of President Joe Biden’s plan to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030. But hold onto your hats, folks, because this regulation would have made state transportation departments and city planning organizations measure their transportation-related emissions and set targets to reduce them. Can you believe it?
Senate Passes Resolution Nullifying Biden’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rule https://t.co/1tAxUqD4XP via @epochtimes
— Chris Shouse 🙏🦅 (@ChrisShouse) April 11, 2024
Many states threw their hands up in protest over the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rule, saying it could hinder job growth, stifle future economic development, saddle states with costly regulations, and is just plain stepping out of line from the executive branch. Senators Kevin Cramer, Shelley Moore Capito, and even Joe Manchin joined forces to introduce a resolution squashing Reg. 2125-AF99, and wouldn’t you know it, it passed the Senate by a vote of 53-47 on April 10th.
The American Trucking Association (ATA), the big cheese of national trade associations for the trucking industry, also gave a big thumbs up to the Senate’s decision. They said that the FHWA’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rule didn’t have a leg to stand on and would cause some infrastructure projects to be put on the backburner. And get this, they even called it a prime example of executive overreach, saying it would just stir up unnecessary red tape for simple procedures.
To add some more fuel to the fire, a couple of federal judges have also stuck it to the FHWA’s regulation. First, a Texas judge put the kibosh on the rule, saying it went beyond the FHWA’s authority and made a nationwide shutdown of it. Then, a judge in Kentucky threw the book at the regulation too, but only put a stop to it in 21 states. They even asked the folks challenging the rule to give their two cents in the coming weeks about “the proper remedy.”
But wouldn’t you know it, the White House isn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. They’ve made it clear that President Biden is ready to veto the Senate’s decision. They claim that this resolution would take away an important tool for handling transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions and making decisions about transportation investments. The FHWA isn’t slinking away either, as they’re mulling over their next moves to keep fighting for Reg. 2125-AF99, despite the mountain of opposition and legal smackdowns. They’re even saying they’re committed to helping the Biden-Harris administration reach their climate goals of chopping carbon pollution in half by 2030 and hitting net-zero emissions by 2050.
We’ll have to wait and see how this green showdown shakes out, but one thing’s for sure, it’s shaping up to be a real slobberknocker.
