Several House Democrats visited United Auto Workers (UAW) picket lines over the weekend after rejecting a bill that would apparently serve the interests of the union’s striking workers by slowing the push for electric vehicles. (EV) of the Biden administration.
Democratic representatives. Elisa Slotkin from Michigan, marcy captur from Ohio, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries They all joined striking UAW workers on picket lines in a show of solidarity after voting against the Vehicle Purchasing Choice Preservation Law on Thursday, which would “amend the Clean Air Act to prevent the elimination of the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles.” Electric vehicles are at the center of the labor dispute, and UAW leaders have expressed concern that long-term increases in electric vehicle production will harm UAW workers.
The UAW said in an official statement that it “opposes this bill because unionized workers are not political pawns for the culture war” and claimed that supporters of the bill are “pandering to the most extreme MAGA sectors.” A spokesperson for Tlaib referred the Daily Caller News Foundation to this statement when he was contacted for comment.
“This statement seems to contradict what (UAW President) Shawn Fain says,” Diana Furchtgott-Roth, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Energy, Climate and Environment, told DCNF. “Maybe the UAW doesn’t want to admit that politics benefits them, because it may encourage their members to vote Republican,” she said of the union’s initiative. opposition to the bill, introduced by Pennsylvania Republican Rep. John Joyce and which passed the House 222-190 votewith 22 representatives who did not vote. (RELATED: Democratic Senate candidate who signed non-disclosure agreement covering CCP-linked EV battery maker rejects bill to block bans on gas-powered cars)
This is not good news for Bidenhttps://t.co/PWkwbwJ5zp
– Daily Call (@DailyCaller) September 16, 2023
The Biden administration and many Democrats have supported policies that subsidize electric vehicles. production, as well as actions that restrict the production of vehicles with internal combustion engines. The Environmental Protection Agency proposed tailpipe emissions standards in April, which would result in manufacturers having their fleets made up of 67% electric vehicles by the 2032 model year, the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure bill. assign billions of dollars to further subsidize electric vehicles and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed updates to corporate average fuel economy standards in July that amount to “an electric vehicle mandate,” Dan Kish, a senior researcher at the Energy Research Institute, told the DCNF at the time.
The union’s statement appears to be at odds with many public statements by UAW President Shawn Fain, who has torn the Biden administration’s electric vehicle policies and subsidies on multiple occasions. Before the strike began last week, Fain had withheld his support for President Joe Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign, largely because of the electric vehicle issue, even though the UAW is typically a strong supporter. of the Democratic candidates.
The UAW made more than $1 million in campaign contributions in the 2022 election cycle, with approximately 1% of those funds going to Republican candidates. according to Open Secrets data.
Compared to internal combustion engine vehicles, electric vehicles require fewer workers to manufacture and assemble, and the “Big Three” manufacturers have said the transition to electric vehicles limits the capital they are available to offer to workers in strike on a new contract. according to NPR.
The UAW, the White House and the offices of Jeffries, Kaptur and Slotkin did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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