Announcement Comes Following EPA Watchdog Reports on Program Vulnerabilities

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an additional $1 billion in grants for President Biden’s electric school bus plan:

“The Biden administration is giving away another billion dollars of taxpayer money to force school districts to adopt its impractical rush-to-green agenda. This is unacceptable, especially considering legitimate concerns about the program raised by the EPA Inspector General at our hearing last year and in recent reports.

“The federal government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers. The fact is these vehicles can cost two to three times more that other options, have limited charging infrastructure, can be unreliable in extreme weather, and could make us more reliant on China. Ensuring our children’s safety should be the number one priority for any program looking to improve student transportation resources—not a radical political agenda.”

BACKGROUND:

In September 2023, the Oversight Subcommittee held a hearing with EPA Inspector General Sean O'Donnell to discuss vulnerabilities and challenges to the electric school bus program. 

Following the hearing, Inspector General O’Donnell issued two December 2023 reports, highlighting his concerns: 

• The EPA Clean School Bus Program Could Be Impacted by Utility Delays 
• Preventing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Within the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program 

NOTE: In April 2023, Chair Rodgers and Environment, Manufacturing, & Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Bill Johnson (R-OH) sent a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan demanding answers for why the administration was using Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funds to mandate that school districts buy electric buses instead of other more affordable, clean, and efficient alternatives.

CLICK HERE to read the letter.