Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent visit to Flint, Michigan, was an attempt to sway voters in a state where she is statistically tied with former President Donald Trump. During her speech, Harris claimed that she would never dictate what kind of car Americans can drive, a statement that contradicts her past proposals and current stance on the issue.
As a senator, Harris co-sponsored the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2019, which aimed to amend the Clean Air Act and require that half of all new cars sold by 2030 be electric. The bill would have also mandated a gradual increase in the percentage of electric cars sold, ultimately leading to a ban on gas-powered cars by 2040.
Despite failing to pass the legislation, the Biden administration has implemented a similar regulation, the Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards rule, which sets a target of 50% of new cars sold being electric by 2030 and 67% by 2032. Harris has publicly endorsed this policy, which raises questions about her claim that she would not dictate what cars Americans can drive.
When asked about her previous support for banning gas-powered cars, the Harris campaign declined to comment, and she has not criticized Biden’s similar mandate or renounced her support for it. This lack of clarity has led to concerns that Harris is trying to distance herself from her previous far-left positions on issues like fracking, gun control, and private health insurance.
A Pew Research Center poll found that 59% of adults oppose the phasing out of gas-powered cars by 2035, citing concerns about the lack of infrastructure to support electric vehicles. Despite efforts to address these concerns, including a $7.5 billion investment in electric vehicle charging stations, only seven stations have been built in the past three years.
Harris’s attempt to rebrand herself as a more moderate candidate has been met with skepticism, and her claims about not wanting to control what cars Americans drive are being seen as a reversal of her previous stance. Her values, as she claims, may not have changed, but her willingness to adapt her message to appeal to voters has raised questions about her authenticity and commitment to her previous policies.
