House Republicans approved a bill Wednesday to block new tailpipe pollution limits proposed by the White House, calling it a back-door mandate for electric vehicles (EVs). 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the rule in April. It would require up to two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric by 2032, or a nearly-tenfold increase in EVs compared to current sales. 

The proposed legislation would also set the strictest tailpipe emissions limits—for the 2027-2032 model years—ever imposed. 

The EPA insists it is not imposing an EV mandate, but Republicans say the plan favors EVs over gas-powered vehicles, which would force Americans to buy cars and trucks they can’t afford. 

The House voted 221-197 to approve the block on tailpipe pollution limits, with five Democrats voting with Republicans. The measure is likely to languish in the Senate, and the White House has said President Biden would veto the bill if it reached his desk. 

The measure would “catastrophically impair EPA’s ability to issue automotive regulations that protect public health, save consumers money, strengthen American energy security and protect American investments in the vehicle technologies of the future,’’ the White House said in a statement.

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