GOP lawmakers back Transportation Department overhaul of Biden fuel economy standards

More than 20 House Republicans, led by Energy and Commerce Chairman Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), are calling on the Transportation Department to quickly finalize its rule to overhaul vehicle fuel economy standards.

Guthrie, along with Republican colleagues, sent a letter to the Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy on Thursday in support of the agency’s proposed changes to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE standards. The lawmakers argued that the existing standards, implemented by the Biden administration, effectively mandated electric vehicles and reduced consumer options. 

The Biden administration “established unlawful fuel economy standards that served as a de facto electric vehicle mandate,” the lawmakers wrote. 

“The rule instituted aggressive fuel economy targets that could only be achieved through broad vehicle electrification, made improper assumptions on vehicle electrification, expressly considered ‘dedicated automobiles,’ and allowed consideration of the fuel economy credit program in establishing fuel economy standards,” it reads. “All of these requirements conflict with