Democratic Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who is running for the Senate, has a new television ad in which she purports to be against electric vehicle (EV) mandates despite repeatedly voting to defend them.
Slotkin claims in the new ad that “no one should tell us what to buy, and no one is going to mandate anything” with respect to EVs. However, the Senate hopeful has voted repeatedly to protect the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) stringent tailpipe emissions standards — which have been characterized as a de facto EV mandate — and the regulatory state’s capacity to dictate what kinds of cars are available to consumers.
“I live on a dirt road nowhere near a charging station, so I don’t own an electric car. No one should tell us what to buy, and no one is going to mandate anything. But here’s the thing: if there’s going to be a new generation of vehicles, I want that generation built right here in Michigan, not China,” Slotkin says in the advertisement. “I approve this message, because what you drive is your call, no one else’s.”
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Slotkin’s messaging in the advertisement is contradicted by her congressional voting record on the issue of EVs.
In September, Slotkin voted against a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would roll back the EPA’s tailpipe rules if enacted by President Joe Biden. She also voted against the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act in December 2023; that bill would have nixed the EPA’s tailpipe rules and prohibited the agency from issuing similar regulations in the future.
Specifically, manufacturers can comply with the EPA’s tailpipe emissions standards if their new car sales consist of 56% EVs and 16% hybrids by 2032, according to The New York Times
Moreover, Slotkin also voted against the Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act in September 2023. The bill would have substantially modified the Clean Air Act waiver process that allows the EPA to deputize California to set emissions standards that are even more aggressive than federal limits, a dynamic that has potential trickle down effects for states that do not want to be subject to the results of California’s policies.
EVs are shaping up to be a major issue in Michigan politics as Election Day approaches, as the state is the heart of the American auto industry and home to many thousands of auto workers. While the United Auto Workers (UAW) leadership has officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, many rank-and file members are considering voting for former President Donald Trump due in part to concerns that the EV transition could imperil their jobs.
Slotkin is currently leading her opponent, former Republican Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers, by three percentage points in the RealClearPolitics polling average.
Rogers slammed the advertisement in a Thursday post to X, formerly known as Twitter, saying that Slotkin is lying about her EV record.
“Slotkin voted three times, including last month, to let the EPA and liberal states ban gas cars that are made in Michigan, she signed a secret agreement to help a Chinese corporation take Michigan auto jobs, and fully backs Harris’ job-destroying EV mandates. Just like an EV, no one is buying her lies,” Chris Gustafson, communications director for the Rogers campaign, said in a statement shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Representatives for the Slotkin campaign did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
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