Rush Opening Remarks at Energy Subcommittee Hearing on Electric Vehicles

Statement

This morning, U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.), Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Energy Subcommittee, delivered the following opening remarks at an Energy Subcommittee hearing titled, "Charging Forward: Securing American Manufacturing and Our EV Future." The focus of the hearing is on electric vehicles and the investments in EV infrastructure made by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. A livestream of today's hearing is available HERE.

Rush Opening Statement as Prepared for Delivery:

Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming to today's vital hearing on the state of the American electric vehicle industry.

I want to start today's hearing with an observation. The last few weeks have made painfully clear the importance of energy security. They have also made clear that a vision of energy independence that subjects Americans to volatile global fossil fuel markets is not independence at all. Any true vision of energy security must free Americans from the shackles of fossil fuels and embrace the electric vehicle transition.

Thankfully, the Biden--Harris Administration has done just that. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law -- which brought together Members of this Subcommittee from both sides of the aisle -- we are laying the groundwork for the future of transportation in this country. That critical legislation included $7.5 billion dollars for EV infrastructure and another $7 billion dollars for materials processing and battery manufacturing. This investment will help the nation achieve the President's goal of ensuring that EVs account for half of all the vehicles sold in this country by 2030.

This investment will transform the EV manufacturing industry in America in all fifty states, including my home state of Illinois. I expect that we will hear just that this morning from our expert witnesses. We will hear that this investment in electric vehicles is spurring growth and creating good, well-paying jobs across this country, from legacy automakers to new startups. That these investments in EVs are good for the environment, good for our pocketbooks, and good for our national security. That they are a win-win-win.

But by themselves, they are not enough. The funding contained in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law represent only a down-payment on the investments necessary to usher in an EV economy that truly works for everyone. The reconciliation bill that the House passed last year contained an additional $3 billion for EV charging infrastructure, importantly emphasizing that we must build chargers not only along highways, but in the low-income and disadvantaged communities that will desperately need them. We have more work to do, and I hope that we can come together to make EVs commonplace for all Americans.

With that said, I am looking forward to today's discussion about the promise of an EV future in America.

Source