Washington, DC – Today, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the below statement in response to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s proposed guidance for the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) 30C Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Tax Credit.

“The Administration just will not stop ignoring the law in pursuit of its radical climate agenda — no matter the cost. This proposed guidance completely spits in the face of rural America with a brand-new interpretation that makes close to the entire country eligible for a credit that was designed to help drive investment in fueling infrastructure for electric, hydrogen, or natural-gas powered vehicles in rural and low-income areas where private businesses can’t or won’t invest. This proposed guidance ensures that rural Americans will remain stuck at the end of the investment line, the exact problem this tax credit was supposed to address, choosing to give hand-outs to those that don’t need it while ignoring its responsibility to provide a hand up to rural communities at risk of being left behind. This proposal is just another example in a long line of this Administration’s attempts to force electric vehicles on Americans and spend money that Congress didn’t account for and doesn’t have in the budget.

“Time and time again this Administration has found ways to raise the cost of the IRA and through administrative interpretation try to make it into the bill they did not pass, rather than the one that was actually negotiated, agreed to, and signed into law. I’ve already requested a Government Accountability Office opinion on Congress’ ability to roll back ‘proposed guidance’ that is being used as a tool by Treasury to expand eligibility for other IRA credits, just as they’re doing here. The IRA can do so much good for our country, especially rural states such as West Virginia. This Administration must follow law and implement the bill as written, not the law they tried to pass but didn’t,” said Chairman Manchin.