Car dealers back plan to block EPA climate rules, dispute administration claims

The main trade group for auto dealers is backing Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-Alaska) plan to thwart upcoming EPA climate change rules and attacking White House claims that her measure would harm struggling automakers.

In a letter to Murkowski on Monday, the National Automobile Dealers Association supports her resolution – which may come to the floor this month – to prevent EPA from issuing rules that limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, cars, factories and other sources.

Murkowski is fearful about the economic effects of regulating stationary sources. But her plan would also prevent EPA’s greenhouse gas standards for automobiles, which the agency plans to soon finalize in a joint package with stricter Transportation Department (DOT) mileage standards.

The administration is lobbying against Murkowski’s plan, arguing that thwarting EPA would open the door for many states -- which had agreed to defer to the national plan -- to implement their own auto emissions rules. The White House, DOT and EPA have emphasized of late that this would be bad news for automakers, which can more easily meet a single national standard.

But the dealers disagree, arguing that the EPA side of the joint EPA-DOT proposal actually adds burdens to automakers. They want EPA and California (and the roughly dozen states that follow California’s lead on auto emissions policy) to back off.

“If need be, the Administration can use its authority to prevent California from moving forward independently,” states the dealers’ March 1 letter to Murkowski.

Murkowski’s resolution under the little-used Congressional Review Act has 40 cosponsors (including three Democrats) and is immune from filibuster.