Senate Rejects Biden's Waiver of 'Buy America' for EV Chargers

The Senate rejected President Biden's decision to waive some "Buy America" requirements for government-funded electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, with several Democrats joining Republicans in a 50-48 vote. The White House argues that the bill to rescind the waiver would harm domestic manufacturing and American jobs, while Republicans claim that most parts for EV chargers would be bought from China. The bipartisan infrastructure law allocated $7.5 billion for EV charging stations, but the installation of new chargers has been slow. The rules requiring at least 55% of construction materials to be sourced domestically go into effect in July 2024.