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DETROIT FREE PRESS: Debbie Dingell: DOGE EV charger shutoff plan wastes taxpayer dollars | Opinion

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk claim their “Department of Government Efficiency” is saving taxpayer dollars by running the government more like a business. It may sound good, but right from the start, they are making moves almost every business owner would reject without a second thought.

At the behest of DOGE, the government’s real estate agency is moving to disconnect 8,000 vehicle chargers that have been built at courthouses, veterans centers and federal office buildings around the country. The General Services Administration’s March 3 memo confirms that non-mission critical EV charging stations can be shut down, and new installations will be prohibited. Federal agencies must now provide written justification for any EV charging access, creating new bureaucratic hurdles that could result in mass deactivation of chargers relied upon by government employees, visitors and fleet vehicles — chargers the federal government spent millions to install.

The broader impact is staggering. At the end of 2023, the federal fleet contained about 8,600 EVs and hybrids, and over the last two years, the Biden Administration ordered at least 9,000 more. Reports indicate those EVs may be sold off at a loss ― and would need to be replaced by new gasoline vehicles. Dumping all those vehicles when they are almost brand new, at most just a few years old, would result in as much as a $225 million loss ― and replacing them could cost another $700 million. This doesn’t count the additional operating expense, because electric vehicles have lower fuel and maintenance costs.

Making the same mistakes

In recent years, the federal government has taken important steps to advance American manufacturing and innovation. Michigan is seeing billions of dollars in new investments in this industry, ensuring that we are the Motor City of tomorrow, too.

Whatever your view is on electric vehicles generally, we all should be able to agree that there’s no reason for the government to throw away nearly $1 billion.

Compounding this misstep, the administration has suspended a $5-billion initiative established under the bipartisan infrastructure law to expand the nation's EV charging network along well-traveled highways. This suspension halts the deployment of charging stations across all 50 states, undermining efforts to make EVs a practical option for more Americans. The Federal Highway Administration's directive to pause state EV infrastructure plans not only disrupts ongoing projects, but also creates uncertainty for future investments in our transportation infrastructure.

Private companies rely on a clear federal policy direction to justify their own investments in charging networks, and this decision injects instability into an otherwise growing sector. What the auto industries need, and what all industries need, is stability and clarity, not to be used as a political football.

Taken together, these actions contradict the administration's stated commitment to eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. Dismantling existing infrastructure and halting planned expansions does not save money; it wastes resources already allocated and impedes economic growth. And it slows the adoption of EVs in the U.S., ceding our leadership to global competitors like China.

The U.S. auto industry needs to continue the production of electric vehicles, for the good of American workers and the competitiveness of the industry. The global market is demanding EVs, and we need to meet the moment.

I remember the 1970s, when we had high gas prices, and Japan was ready to build small vehicles ― and we weren’t. We lost the small car market for a decade.

Now, China is doing everything it can to dominate and own the global EV market, and we can’t make the same mistakes as before.

We owe it to workers, taxpayers

For Michigan and our auto workers, who are still the backbone of our economy, this decision is particularly damaging. Detroit's automakers have invested billions into developing the next generation of EVs, creating jobs and keeping American manufacturing competitive on a global scale. General Motors, Ford and Stellantis are all making historic shifts toward electrification, securing the future of American automotive dominance.

Michigan's economy, built on innovation and industry, should not be collateral damage in a political game that ignores the realities of the market and the future of our transportation system. The electric vehicle market is growing rapidly, with more than $300 billion expected to be invested into U.S. manufacturing facilities. And the shift to electrification is expected to support more than 150,000 new jobs nationwide by 2030.

We cannot allow partisan actions to supersede responsible policymaking. The consequences of this decision are real. Federal agencies, already dealing with unprecedented demands to cut spending, will be hit with unnecessary fuel costs and logistical challenges to implement this directive.

If my Republican friends in Congress are serious about preventing waste, fraud and abuse, they should join me in pushing back against this shortsighted move. We owe it to taxpayers to ensure that their money isn't wasted on political score-settling. And we owe it to the future to build a smarter, cleaner, more efficient government — one that isn't stuck in the past, but moving forward toward progress.