Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have just voted to repeal the Biden-Harris administration's Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) emissions rules. 

According to the New York Post, it was a close vote.

The vote was 215 to 191.

The most surprising part of all of this is that the 215 included eight members of the Democratic Party. On the other hand, one Republican - U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) - voted with the 191.

Background

The EPA's emissions rules were put forth by the administration back in March 2024.

The Associated Press, at the time, reported:

The Biden administration announced new automobile emissions standards Wednesday that officials called the most ambitious plan ever to cut planet-warming emissions from passenger vehicles. The new rules relax initial tailpipe limits proposed last year but eventually get close to the same strict standards set out by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Republicans - and some Democrats - have taken issue with these new rules because, according to them, the rules would essentially force Americans to buy electric vehicles that they cannot afford and do not want.

The Post reports:

While former President Donald Trump and other Republicans have lambasted the rule as an EV “mandate,’’ the rule would not force all sales of EVs. Under the regulation, industry could meet the limits if 56% of new vehicle sales are electric by 2032, the EPA said. The standard also would require at least 13% plug-in hybrids or other partially electric cars by 2032, as well as more efficient gasoline-powered cars that get more miles to the gallon than cars currently on the road.

The outlet adds that "The projected EV sales rate would be a huge increase over current sales, which rose to 7.6% of new vehicles last year, up from 5.8% in 2022."

The resolution

This is why the Republican-controlled House put forth a resolution to put a stop to the EPA's new emissions rules. The resolution, as mentioned above, was successful.

U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) has argued, "The EPA’s latest tailpipe emissions rule is not really about reducing air pollution. It’s about forcing Americans to drive electric vehicles."

She went on to say that the EPA rules were "just another example of how the Biden-Harris administration’s rush-to-green agenda is handing China the key to America’s energy future, jeopardizing our auto industry and forcing people to buy unaffordable EVs they don’t want."

The Democrats, on the other hand, accused Republicans of pushing a resolution that would hurt the American people.

The White House has, at the time of this writing, not released a statement on the matter.