The U.S. House of Representatives voted 221-197 Wednesday evening to pass the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act, which would strike down federal regulations that target gas-powered vehicles.

Two hundred and sixteen and five Democrats voted in favor. The measure will next go to the Senate, where it’s enjoyed bipartisan support. President Biden issued a statement Monday, however, vowing to veto the bill if and when it hits his desk.

The president and his administration have been aggressive in pushing electric vehicles, and this bill is designed to stymie efforts to have the government decide what kind of car you can drive.

Reps. Tim Walberg (R-MI), one of the authors of the act, was pleased:

"The passage of the CARS Act is a massive victory for every consumer and the entire American auto industry," Walberg told Fox News Digital. "Biden’s mandate has always been unrealistic, and a textbook study on how central planning and Bidenomics simply do not work. Mandating EVs has never been a responsible or affordable solution."

"Americans should always have the option to buy whatever car suits them the best and the House has taken a massive step toward ensuring that opportunity still exists," he added.

Before the vote, many members of Congress took to social media to support the bill, with a number of them saying the EV push puts the U.S. in the clutches of the Chinese Communist Party. China dominates global EV battery supply chains, and we could easily -- and dangerously -- become dependent on them.

Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX):

China is NOT our friend, and unlike China’s treatment of their own citizens, we should not dictate to Americans what they can or cannot drive. In America, we let CONSUMERS choose the car they drive.

We must pass the CARS Act to STOP the EPA’s radical rush-to-green agenda. pic.twitter.com/Uj09TPjZ9Y

— Randy Weber (@TXRandy14) December 6, 2023

Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) wondered if we were no longer living in the United States:

Do we live in communist China? This is madness!

I am fully in support of the CARS Act, which will empower consumer choice and stop the Biden Administration from ruining the American automotive industry with their radical climate agenda. pic.twitter.com/4UVRNMoRH3

— Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (@RepDLesko) December 6, 2023

What exactly does this bill do? It blocks regulations that would force more people to buy EVs even if they don't want them:

The CARS Act would particularly block regulations proposed in April by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which would significantly increase tailpipe emissions standards for gas-powered cars. The bill would also prohibit any rule mandating the use of a specific technology or regulations that limit the availability of new vehicles based on engine type.

If the EPA rule is finalized, the White House projected that a staggering 67% of new sedan, crossover, SUV and light truck purchases and up to 50% of bus and garbage truck purchases could be electric by 2032. While the proposal isn't technically a mandate, the Biden administration boasted it would be a key part of its efforts to push greater EV adoption.

What Biden doesn't mention about his policies is that they would substantially increase the cost of vehicles and reduce consumer choice. "Taken together, the proposed GHG (greenhouse gas) and criteria pollutant standards are so stringent as to set a de facto BEV (battery electric vehicle) mandate," said John Bozzella, CEO of auto industry group Alliance for Automotive Innovation.

Although Biden will block this effort if it passes the Senate, the vote nonetheless shows that many lawmakers -- even some Democrats -- think that the administration has gone overboard in trying to shove EVs down our throats, even when the American public is not showing a strong desire for them.

Biden's overreach may come back to haunt him in the 2024 election, if this is any indication.