By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office
- At a Glance: SEMA and PRI continue to fight to stop unfair automotive technology mandates, most recently flying into Washington, D.C., to spread the word to lawmakers. Industry members are encouraged to join the cause.
- Get involved: To join the fight, visit SEMACRA.org to send a letter to your lawmaker.
- Use our tools: Amplify our messages with our toolkit, featuring social media assets you can deploy on your channels.
SEMA Hits The Hill, Throws a Haymaker in Fight to Stop ICE Ban
Working on a tight deadline to stop California's internal combustion engine (ICE) ban, SEMA and PRI mustered a crack team of advocates to urge lawmakers to prevent California from enacting laws and mandates for the entire country. Congress is in the midst of a Congressional Review Act (CRA)-enabled examination of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Air Act waiver to California for the state's Advanced Clean Cars II regulation.
To amplify the message of technology-neutral government and vehicle choice, a team of 31 advocates, comprised of SEMA members and automotive content creators, descended on Capitol Hill for meetings with lawmakers and their staff members. Over the course of seven hours, members impressed upon Congress why California's ICE ban should be struck down, furthering our position on this critical matter. SEMA and PRI have published a new toolkit of posters and social media assets to help spread the word on the fight to stop the ICE ban. (Find more on those resources at sema.org/advocacy/cra and below).
Background on the Congressional Review Act
SEMA and PRI's efforts to overturn EV mandates enacted by California are at a significant moment. Federal lawmakers will use the CRA to determine the legitimacy of Clean Air Act waivers for California's Advanced Clean Cars II policy, which would effectively ban ICE and related technology and innovations. SEMA and PRI oppose these waivers and support their immediate repeal by Congress.
These proposed mandates will create a seismic shift in the automotive industry that will hurt small businesses that employ American workers with technical skills and create the often politically celebrated blue-collar jobs. The specialty automotive aftermarket has led to technological innovation, making vehicles more fuel-efficient, safer and appealing to consumers.
In addition, large automakers are losing billions a year in their electric-vehicle (EV) programs despite the massive financial infusion of taxpayer dollars they receive from the government and subsidies to purchase EVs.
Join the cause to end EV mandates and support automotive businesses by visiting semacra.org and sending a letter to your lawmakers. Be sure also to access the ready-to-print and ready-to-post assets available to industry members below.
SEMA and PRI Offer 'Stop the ICE Ban' Toolkit of Assets; Join the Cause
SEMA and PRI's CRA Social Media Toolkit is designed to help industry members share their opposition to EV mandates across their digital channels and in their shops or businesses. This comprehensive toolkit provides a variety of ready-to-use assets, including printable posters, social graphics, carousel assets and sample post copy, making it easy to share key messaging with your customers and industry peers.
Join the cause, let industry members know where you stand, and access the CRA Social Media Toolkit at sema.org/advocacy/cra.