Click here to watch Sen. Barrasso’s remarks.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) spoke on the Senate floor about why he opposes the Democrats’ plans to give more American taxpayer dollars to the manufacturers and purchasers of electric vehicles.

Excerpts of Senator Barrasso’s remarks:

“I come to the floor today to comment on statements made by the Majority Leader earlier today on this Senate floor, and he made those after President Biden this morning signed another expensive executive order relating to climate change.

“The President at the time said it was his goal of making half of all new cars emission-free in less than a decade. In practice, that means making half of all new cars electric.

“Well, after the President signed his executive order, the Majority Leader came to the floor and he talked about his own plans to give more of American taxpayer dollars to the manufacturers and purchasers of electric vehicles.

“He said, ‘we hope to add large parts of the plan.’ Where does he want to add it? He wants to add it to the reckless Democrat tax and spending plan.

“The American taxpayers are already giving billions and billions of taxpayer dollars to electric vehicle manufacturers and owners. Electric vehicle makers have been given free tax dollars for 30 years.

“The truth is electric car buyers don't need more taxpayer money. They have plenty of their own. Today, the market for electric vehicles is very well established. There are more than a million electric vehicles on the road today.

“They’re being made by everyone, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, U.S. manufacturers, foreign manufacturers. They're being made all around the world.

“In fact, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that sales of light-duty electric vehicles is going to reach four million by the year 2025. And electric vehicle makers are doing just fine.

“They're also receiving free money from just about every state. So who benefits from these taxpayer handouts to electric vehicle makers and users? Well, customers are usually wealthy. They don't need more money.

“Seniors on a fixed income certainly in Wyoming are not trading in their cars for expensive electric vehicles.

“Middle-class families who are trying to make ends meet, are dealing with inflation that's hitting them every day under the Biden economy, they're not going out to buy expensive new electric vehicles.

“Seniors and middle-class families are hurting right now because of inflation hitting them when they buy gas, when they buy groceries, when they buy other goods.

“This is all triggered by massive Democrat spending, including the borrowing and spending that has occurred under the last coronavirus, so-called coronavirus relief bill.

“So Democrats aren't looking out for them under the proposal. Oh, no. Nearly 80% of tax credits for electric vehicles go to households that earned at least $100,000 a year.

“Let me repeat that. Nearly 80% of the tax credits for electric vehicles go to households that have earned over $100,000 a year.

“Not to mention the fact that these drivers don't pay for the use and the abuse that occurs to the roads from them driving on the roads.

“The rest of us do. Anybody that puts gasoline in their car pays the gas tax. It goes to the Highway Trust Fund. It goes to repair damage done to the roads.

“So, we're in a debate over infrastructure - electric vehicles, no gas tax. That's the ordinary source of funding to do repair of our roads and our highways.

“Even though a Tesla puts as much wear and tear on the road as a Ford Focus, the Tesla driver pays next to nothing to fix the roads.

“They contribute nothing to the Highway Trust Fund. One more Democrat giveaway to the rich.

“Electric vehicle owners don't need our tax dollars. They have enough. They should pay their fair share for the use and abuse that they do of the roads on which they drive.

“That's why I've introduced legislation called the ELITE Act. It stands for End Lavish Incentives to Electric Vehicles.

“We need to make sure to end these incentives to electric vehicles. The bill would end the billion-dollar giveaways to electric vehicle makers.

“You know, according to the Manhattan Institute, my bill would actually save taxpayers $20 billion.

“And at a time when middle-class families are hurting from inflation caused by Democrat spending, it's unconscionable that Democrats want to raise taxes to give more handouts to the rich.

“Certainly bad economics and it's bad news for hardworking American taxpayers.

“Rather than increasing the giveaways, we should be bringing them to an end. We should stop this waste of taxpayer dollars – any waste of taxpayer dollars is wrong. And this is certainly a case where taxpayer dollars are not necessary to be spent.”

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