thebigp

By Sam Barron--03 May 2024—printed off 5/4/24
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, is ripping the Biden administration's new policy on which electric vehicles are eligible for tax credits, saying they are endorsing "Made in China."
The Biden administration announced it is loosening provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that bar tax credit eligibility for vehicles whose batteries contain materials from China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran, according to The Hill. "The Administration has made clear from Day 1 of implementing the consumer electric vehicle tax credit in the Inflation Reduction Act that they will break the law in pursuit of their goal to flood the market with electric vehicles as quickly as possible," Manchin said. "It's outrageous and illegal." The rule includes a two-year carve-out for minerals whose origins are difficult to trace and show up in small amounts, the Hill said, and extends the carve-out to graphite, which can compose a significant portion of an electric vehicle battery and is often produced in China, according to the Hill.
Manchin argued the entire point of the Inflation Reduction Act was to provide American businesses with incentives to bring energy and manufacturing supply chains back to the country and reduce dependence on foreign adversaries. "The administration is so desperate for Chinese EV components that they are blatantly breaking the law by implementing a bill that they did not pass and ignoring what Congress agreed upon at the expense of American workers and taxpayers," Manchin said. The senator, who declined to run for re-e******n this year, said this new rule will put the country further into debt and jeopardize energy independence and national security.
Manchin said he will lead a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval. Earlier this week, Manchin said he wanted to undo the Biden administration's final rule on permitting, according to The Hill. Manchin, a vocal opponent of the permitting law and other Biden energy policies, said he plans to file a Congressional Review Act resolution. Aside from not running for re-e******n, Manchin also declined a third-party p**********l run.