Op-Ed: Rep. Tony Wied: How we can Make America Efficient Again
I was sent to Washington by the people of Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District with a clear mission: to reduce wasteful government spending and to get our fiscal house in order. That’s exactly why I recently introduced the Unplug the Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Programs Act. This bill would end the failed electric vehicle (EV) charging station programs from the so-called infrastructure bill, which spent $7.5 billion over three years to build just 59 charging stations nationwide.
For years, we’ve watched the federal government waste the taxpayers' hard-earned money on projects that provide little to no benefit to the American people. The Biden administration’s green energy giveaways are a prime example of this waste. Rather than focusing on unleashing American energy and making our country energy dominant, the former administration pushed forward green energy projects that yielded little to no results.
You don’t need to look any further than the Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Program to see this waste. Despite receiving a staggering $7.5 billion from American taxpayers, only 59 charging stations were built across the country. That’s nearly $130 million per charging station. This is an absurd and laughable outcome, and it’s the exact reason why Americans don’t trust the federal government with their money — and they shouldn’t.
As a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, it is my job to provide proper oversight into infrastructure spending. When I saw the lack of results from this wasteful green energy pet project, I knew I had to do something about it.
President Donald Trump and I both campaigned on the promise of rooting out waste and inefficiency in government, and the American people overwhelmingly supported that vision. They’ve made it clear that they will no longer stand by as their hard-earned money is wasted on pointless vanity projects.
As a small business owner, I understand how critical it is to spend money efficiently. For nearly 30 years, my wife and I ran gas station convenience stores. It was a tough business, and we had to make difficult decisions to stay competitive and successful. If I had been lucky enough to have been given $7.5 billion, I could have built 1,500 new stores. Instead, the Biden administration built just 59 charging stations nationwide. This is proof that the program was pointless and that it was nothing more than a virtue signaling project.
When President Trump took office, he halted the program, and I commend him for taking that step. However, it’s up to Congress to rescind the unspent funds and put them to better use. I want to thank Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa) for introducing the companion bill in the Senate. Together, we will work to pass this bill and ensure that this money is rescinded once and for all.
It’s a new day in America, and we will no longer tolerate wasteful spending on useless projects. The American people suffered under four years of one of the most inefficient and incompetent administrations in history, and it’s time put that behind us.
Under President Trump’s leadership. We are committed to unleashing American energy and growing our economy. During his first term, we saw the greatest economy in American history and that was due to investing in our own energy production, rather than relying on liberal green initiatives or our foreign adversaries.
The American people deserve to see their tax dollars spent wisely, and when I see waste like this, I refuse to stand by and let it continue. We need to take this money and invest it in legitimate programs that will actually benefit the American people.
I’m hopeful that my Republican colleagues and colleagues across the aisle will work with me and Senator Ernst to pass this bill and work to Make America Efficient Again.
Rep. Tony Wied represents Wisconsin’s 8th District in Congress.
