Charleston Leader

The U.S. Senate has approved a joint resolution of disapproval to overturn the Biden administration's greenhouse emissions performance measure final rule imposed on state departments of transportation (DOTs) and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs). The measure, co-sponsored by Shelley Moore Capito and sponsored by Kevin Cramer, was passed by a vote of 53-47.

"Today, the Senate rejected the Biden administration’s attempt to ignore the letter of the bipartisan infrastructure law and impose its extreme climate agenda on states across the country," Ranking Member Capito stated. "Beyond the economic harm a greenhouse gas emissions requirement would cause, the main problem with the FHWA issuing this regulation is it simply lacks the authority to do so. I’m glad a bipartisan group of colleagues joined us in sending a clear message to the administration that we will continue to hold them accountable for executive overreach."

The resolution of disapproval was introduced in the House of Representatives as well, led by US. Reps. Sam Graves and Rick Crawford.

Ranking Member Capito had previously expressed concerns about the proposed rule in a hearing with FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt in June 2023. In October 2022, Capito and Cramer, along with 25 colleagues, voiced strong opposition to the agency’s proposal in a letter to FHWA Deputy Administrator Stephanie Pollack.

The resolution of disapproval text and a letter of support from stakeholders are available for further reference.

This action by the Senate signifies a pushback against what was deemed an overreach by the executive branch, highlighting the importance of adhering to the legislative framework in implementing regulations affecting state DOTs and MPOs.