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Senate Democrats Choose to Subsidize, Incentivize Child and Slave Labor

Democrats blocked a simple measure by Ernst to prevent any taxpayer money from subsidizing electric vehicles manufactured by forced labor.

WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats rejected U.S. Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) commonsense amendment to prevent tax dollars from being used to subsidize luxury electric vehicles (EV) that include parts or components manufactured by slave or child labor.

“We shouldn’t be sacrificing a clean conscience in exchange for a ‘cleaner’ car, but Democrats disagree,” said Senator Ernst, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. “Let the record show: Democrats chose to subsidize and incentivize slave and child labor in the name of their deranged climate agenda.” 

Ernst spoke on the floor in support of her amendment:

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Click here or above to watch Ernst’s remarks.

Ernst’s amendment prohibits tax credits for electric vehicles produced by or containing components produced by slave or child labor. Specifically, the amendment prohibits the disbursement of the Clean Vehicle Credit – a tax credit subsidized by U.S. tax dollars – for EVs containing parts from nations that are under investigation by the Biden administration for forced labor practices.

This is not the first time Ernst has worked to prevent slave and child labor sourced materials. In the Senate’s annual defense bill, the National Defense Authorization Act, Senator Ernst successfully included a bipartisan provision to prohibit electric vehicle components from any entity that uses child or slave labor.

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