WASHINGTON - Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and 88 lawmakers pushedSenate Environment and Public Works and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leadership to protect electric vehicle (EV) investments while reauthorizing bipartisan surface transportation legislation.

The lawmakers reaffirmed their commitment to supporting a similar bipartisan surface transportation process to the historic passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, but they stressed that the reauthorization cannot truly be bipartisan if it furthers the Administration's attacks on electric vehicles. Since taking office, the Trump Administration has sought to dismantle federal EV programs, including freezing the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program and rolling back other Congressionally authorized initiatives.

The lawmakers emphasized that bipartisan programs like NEVI, the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) discretionary grant program, the Carbon Reduction Program, the Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities (RTEPF) program, and the Low or No Emission Grant Program (Low No) expand consumer choice, create American jobs, lower costs, and strengthen U.S. competitiveness. They warned that undermining EV programs puts significant economic and workforce gains at risk, while undermining long-term planning and ceding progress on EVs to China.

"The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) represented a historic investment in strengthening and building out our national infrastructure. We have a unique opportunity to not only reauthorize this foundation but bolster many of the highly popular and effective transportation programs authorized by the IIJA," wrote the lawmakers. "Attempts to eliminate investments in cleaner transportation run counter to the cooperative spirit this process depends on. While we understand that reforms may be necessary and that legislating inherently requires compromise, we urge you to ensure that this reauthorization process does not take a partisan tenor replete with extraordinary attempts to undercut zero-emission technologies, investments, and American innovation."

"Eliminating dedicated investments in EV and alternative fueling technologies would represent a departure from the bipartisan cooperation that has always driven surface transportation legislation," concluded the lawmakers. "We remain committed to advancing American transportation innovation, safety, and excellence, and we hope the reauthorization process will maintain that same spirit of partnership."

More than $200 billion has been invested in domestic EV manufacturing capacity since 2022, expected to create over 160,000 jobs across the country in charging manufacturing alone. These investments have been made on a bipartisan basis: 22 of the 25 Congressional districts with the greatest share of EV manufacturing capacity investment are represented by Republicans. In California, the zero-emission vehicle industry supports over 70,000 jobs across more than 360 companies.

Read the full letter HERE.

12/16/25