Florida – Senator Marco Rubio from Florida has been actively pursuing measures to block China from benefiting from the United States’ push towards adopting electric vehicles (EVs), a move initiated by President Joe Biden. Rubio’s efforts, however, faced a setback when Biden vetoed his proposal, which aimed to mandate the procurement of EV charging stations exclusively from American manufacturers.
Battling for American Manufacturing
President Biden, since taking office in January 2021, has been an advocate for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, aiming to establish 500,000 charging stations nationwide. To support this initiative, he allocated $7.5 billion in 2021. Despite these ambitious plans, the first of these charging stations only became operational in December of the same year. During this period, the Biden administration’s Federal Highway Administration lifted the stipulation that these stations must be sourced from within the United States. As a result, Chinese companies, largely under the influence of the Chinese Communist Party, stood to gain significantly from this waiver.
Senator Rubio, in response, spearheaded a resolution, supported by fellow Republicans including Senators Rick Scott of Florida, Roger Marshall of Kansas, and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, to revoke this waiver. Their goal was to ensure that American taxpayer dollars would not benefit foreign competitors, specifically those in China, by reinstating the Buy America regulation. The resolution gained traction, passing through the Senate in November and the House in January.
However, the attempt to secure American manufacturing interests was thwarted when President Biden vetoed the resolution. A subsequent vote in the Senate to override the veto fell short, with a 50-47 tally, failing to reach the two-thirds majority required. Despite the setback, four Democrats—Senators Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Jon Tester of Montana, and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona—broke ranks to support Rubio’s initiative.
Senator Rubio expressed his disappointment but remained resolute, stating, “I was proud to lead this common-sense effort to prevent the Biden Administration from funneling American tax dollars to Chinese EV companies. It’s disappointing we didn’t have the votes to override this veto, but this isn’t the final word, and I hope we will have bipartisan support to claw these funds back from Chinese companies in the very near future.”
Rubio’s commitment to the cause underscores a broader concern regarding the influence of foreign manufacturing, particularly from China, on America’s transition to electric vehicles. As the debate continues, the senator’s vow to persist in his efforts highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing technological advancement with national economic and security interests.
