Washington, D.C. — Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing on the EPA's Clean School Bus Program.

His remarks as prepared for delivery:  

GREEN AGENDA DISREGARDS CONSEQUENCES 

"Welcome to today’s hearing of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.  

"We are here today to examine the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program, yet another piece of the Biden Administration plan which moves our country towards an uncertain future by using renewable energy and electrification without examining 'all of the consequences.' 

"Time-and-time again over nearly two years now, this Administration has pushed its green agenda on the American people with seemingly little regard for 'all of the consequences.'" 

TAKING AWAY AMERICANS' CHOICES 

"While the EPA is moving us towards electric school buses, they have also proposed light- and medium-duty vehicle emissions standards, which in reality is their way to force electric vehicles on all American consumers.  

 "The EPA projects that, under these rules, electric vehicles could account for two-thirds of new light- and medium-duty vehicle sales by model year 2032. They have made this proposal without considering 'all of the consequences' such as grid reliability and safety. 

"Under the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program which we will discuss today, the EPA plans to give out around $5 billion dollars to replace school busses with electric or alternative fuel busses. 

"The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act authorized the EPA to make awards for both electric zero-emission busses and alternative fuel busses, but we are advised 95% of the 2,600 busses to be replaced under the first round of awards will likely be electric. 

"While the EPA has already begun handing out billions of dollars in federal funding to convert school bus fleets to electric busses, many important questions have yet to be answered. 

"It is already well-documented that electric vehicles lose a considerable percentage of their range in cold weather. For example, EPA’s own Clean School Bus Program website warns, 'Electric School Buses are still operational in cold climates, but additional considerations might be necessary depending on a school district's situation.'" 

EV'S UNRELIABLE IN COLD WEATHER 

"According to the EPA itself, a study on battery electric busses saw a range decrease of approximately 33% for a temperature decrease of 30 degrees. How will these busses make long trips, such as those required for sports competitions, rural routes up and over mountain, or long distance field trips?  

"After the initial funding boost from the EPA, how will school districts purchase more electric busses, how will school districts be able to maintain these vehicles, and how will those districts cover all of the related expenses? 

"Electric busses are much more expensive than traditional busses. According to CNBC, battery electric versions of small school busses cost around $250,000, compared to $50,000 to $65,000 for their diesel counterparts. The replacement batteries themselves can cost as much as $50,000. 

"One school district in New York received nearly $1.2 million from the EPA under this program to purchase 3 electric busses. However, that community voted against the purchase of these busses, with the school superintendent noting that the EPA award of $1.2 million would not cover the full expenses related to the three busses. 

"Utilities will also need to work on strengthening the grid to accommodate entire fleets of electric busses on top of all the new electric vehicles anticipated by the EPA regulations and projections. 

"To help us explore some of our outstanding questions on this program, we welcome EPA Inspector General Sean O’Donnell. Thank you for being here. 

"At a hearing before this Subcommittee in March, Inspector General O’Donnell noted that the IIJA, which authorizes the Clean School Bus program, entrusts the EPA to spend more than $60 billion over 5 years."   

INCREASE IN FUNDING VULNERABLE TO MISUSE 

"He also shared his office’s concern about recipients’ ability to appropriately handle this deluge of money. Furthermore, he raised the question of whether the supply chain limitations could hinder effective use of Clean School Bus Program funds.  

"Today, we will receive an update on the audit that the EPA’s Office of the Inspector General’s has launched to examine these concerns. Inspector General O’Donnell will share more about other ongoing and upcoming projects, as well. 

"Monitoring the billions of dollars appropriated to the EPA through the IIJA and Inflation Reduction Act is an enormous task. I appreciate their work and look forward to hearing more about the OIG’s efforts. 

"My colleagues on the Committee and I look forward to our continued work together to safeguard the American peoples’ hard-earned tax dollars and to get the Biden administration to honestly consider 'all of the consequences' of their rush to make the Green New Deal a reality. 

"Thank you for joining us today, Inspector General."