Fischer’s Legislation Would Have Overturned Regulation That Will Hurt Truckers & Consumers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, released the following statement after President Biden vetoed her legislation to overturn an aggressive EPA regulation on heavy-duty vehicle emissions. The rule is expected to devastate the trucking industry, raise costs for consumers, and incentivize older, less efficient trucks to stay on the road.

“Today, President Biden chose to prioritize his extreme environmental agenda over bipartisan pushback from Congress. This 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,” said Senator Fischer.

The legislation previously passed both Houses of Congress with bipartisan support, by a vote of 50-49 in the Senate and 221-203 in the U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. Representative Troy Nehls (R-Texas-22) led the legislation in the House.

Background:

The EPA finalized its rule on new emissions standards for heavy duty vehicles on December 20, 2022. The rule’s new standards cover nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other air pollutants including particulate matter (PM), hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide (CO). The rule would also change requirements regarding emission control systems and emission-related warranties.

The EPA estimated that the technology required to meet the new rule’s standards will cost between $2,568 and $8,304 per vehicle. The American Truck Dealers Association estimates it is more likely a $42,000 increase per truck. In total, the EPA projects the associated costs of this new regulation on the country could reach $55 billion over the lifetime of the program.

The EPA’s regulation would be challenging to implement and make new, compliant trucks cost-prohibitive. By increasing the cost of a new truck, the regulation actually incentivizes keeping older, higher-emitting trucks in service longer. It would also likely force many "mom & pop" commercial trucking operations out of business while encouraging larger trucking operations to pass these higher costs onto consumers.

Adding new financial burdens on the trucking industry would increase the cost of any product transported by trucks, including food, clothing, and other commodities.

A one-pager on the legislation can be found here.

A recap of stakeholder support can be found here.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.