Republicans on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee are investigating Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on her recent electric vehicle (EV) road trip where the police called her and her team.
Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Oversight Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Chairman Pat Fallon, R-Texas, informed Granholm in a letter Tuesday morning that they are investigating the June road trip which they said was aimed at “reinforcing the charade of green energy’s effectiveness.”
“This taxpayer-funded publicity stunt once again illustrates how out of touch the Biden Administration is with the consequences of the policies it puts forth on everyday Americans,” Comer and Fallon wrote to Granholm. .
“Committee Republicans remain committed to preserving freedoms such as choice for car buyers in the face of an unproven, burdensome, and expensive push by the Biden Administration to force all Americans to buy EVs ,” they continued. “We request documents and information to understand the goals, costs, and consequences of your summer 2023 EV road trip.”
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Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s team caused the incident during Granholm’s June road trip promoting President Biden’s climate agenda. (Alex Wong/Getty Images / AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
Earlier this month, reports emerged that, during Granholm’s four-day EV road trip from North Carolina to Tennessee, Energy Department personnel used a car with an internal combustion engine to block an EV charger for the secretary outside a Walmart in Grovetown, Georgia.
One family, upset that a gas-powered vehicle forced them to wait to use a charger, eventually called the police to report the incident.
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“I called because I was at the Grovetown Walmart at the charging station and there was literally a non-electric car taking up the space and said they were holding the space for someone else,” the woman who made the 911 call told a police dispatcher in a recording which was acquired by Fox News Digital. “And it handles a whole bunch of people who have to charge their cars.”
“There are other people waiting to charge and they’re still here and not in the electric cars,” the woman continued. “The sign says you can’t park here unless you pay.”
The dispatcher then informed the woman that a deputy was on his way to handle the situation. While a policeman ultimately responded to the incident, a police report was never filed. The incident was first reported by NPR who accompanied Granholm on the trip. According to the report, Granholm’s office organized the trip to “draw attention to the billions of dollars the White House is pouring into green energy and clean cars.”
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While Granholm’s team planned the trip ahead of time to prepare for the charging halt, the Georgia stop underscored the logistical issues that continue to face the zero-emissions vehicles that Granholm is aggressively pushing, President Biden and Democratic-led states.
After he was pressed on the incident at a House Science and Technology Committee hearing on September 14, Granholm explained that the incident occurred as a result of “poor judgment on the part of the team,” sidestepping blame.
President Biden previously set a goal to ensure 50% of vehicle purchases are electric by 2030. (Anna Moneymaker/Pool/Getty Images | Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
“Your fleet of EVs cannot complete the trip without the support of the fossil fuel industry that you and the Biden Administration intend to discredit and destroy,” Comer and Fallon continued in their letter Tuesday. “Traveling from Charlotte, North Carolina to Memphis, Tennessee, you encounter significant barriers to EV implementation.”
“You and your staff didn’t even make serious, practical decisions on the EV vehicles chosen for the road trip.”
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The Department of Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
