Congress moves to block EPA from phasing out gas-powered cars
H.R. 2165 — Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act of 2025 · Filed by Tim Walberg (R-MI) · 15 cosponsors · Introduced Mar 14, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit EPA tailpipe emissions regulations from mandating specific technologies or reducing the availability of new vehicle types based on engine type. It requires the EPA to revise existing regulations within 24 months to comply with this new constraint, effectively blocking regulations that would phase out or severely limit internal combustion engine vehicles.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is to restrict EPA's regulatory authority under the Clean Air Act by adding a new statutory constraint on tailpipe emissions rules. While titled as a consumer-choice measure, it functions as a deregulatory rider that narrows the agency's ability to set standards that would phase out or limit internal combustion engine vehicles.
What the text implies
- The 24-month revision mandate forces EPA to retroactively weaken or rescind existing tailpipe standards (including 2023–2024 rules already in effect), creating regulatory uncertainty and potential litigation over vested reliance interests.
- The 'limited availability' language is ambiguous: it may bar EPA from setting standards that any manufacturer claims would reduce their market share, effectively giving industry veto power over emissions rules.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
automotive manufacturers (especially those with high ICE production); petroleum refiners and fuel distributors; aftermarket emissions-defeat device suppliers