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Executive Orders Historical Archive
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Executive Order 14037 Revoked 🏛️✅ Zone 1: Maximum Authority Constitutional Fidelity (+0.85) 📜 Art. I §8: Delegated Tariff & Commerce Execution

Executive Order 14037—Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks

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Thursday, August 5, 2021
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5 min read (1,049 words)
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86 Fed. Reg. 43583

Executive Brief • At a Glance

⏱️ 5 min read (1,049 words) • ● Revoked
🎯 Primary Mandate

With respect to the rulemaking described in section 3(a) of this order, the Administrator of the EPA shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking by January 2022 and any final rulemaking by December 2022.

⚖️ Constitutional Footing
🏛️✅ Zone 1: Maximum Authority
Express or Implied Congressional Authorization
📜 Art. I §8: Delegated Tariff & Commerce Execution
🏛️ Scope & Affected Sectors
Sovereign State Governments & Localities Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants Private Citizens & Property Owners Public Health & Medical Institutions

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

Signed by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on August 5, 2021, this order concerns Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks. America must lead the world on clean and efficient cars and trucks. That means bolstering our domestic market by setting a goal that 50 percent of all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in 2030 be zero-emission vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles.

Constitutional Assessment: This action represents an orderly exercise of Article II administrative discretion, managing the internal machinery and personnel of the executive branch without abridging the ancient liberties of the people.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

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Rulemaking Targets

With respect to the rulemaking described in section 3(a) of this order, the Administrator of the EPA shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking by January 2022 and any final rulemaking by December 2022.

▪
Coordination and Engagement

The Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the EPA shall coordinate, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, during the consideration of any rulemakings pursuant to this order.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants 🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners 🏛️ Public Health & Medical Institutions
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The Framers' Constitutional Council

1787 Prism

Evaluating this order against the constitutional debates of 1787 and the limits of Article II executive power.

🏛️✅ Zone 1 (Maximum Authority)
§

"When the President acts pursuant to an express or implied authorization of Congress, his authority is at its maximum, for it includes all that he possesses in his own right plus all that Congress can delegate."

— Justice Robert H. Jackson, Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952) Express or Implied Congressional Authorization
JM

James Madison

Separation of Powers & Legislative Primacy

"The constitutional magistracy was designed not to invent policy, but to be the faithful instrument of the laws passed by the people's representatives." — Speech in the First Congress (1789)

Madison would approve the structural posture of this order. The President acts strictly in subordination to statutory authority granted under Article II, Section 3 ("take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed"). The checks and balances hold firm because the policy origin remains with the legislature.

Madisonian Stance: Concurring (Statutory)
AH

Alexander Hamilton

The Energetic Executive & Unified Command

"The direction of war implies the direction of the common strength; and the power of directing and employing the common strength must be under the direction of the single hand of the Executive." — Federalist No. 74 (1788)

Hamilton would forcefully champion executive discretion here. For foreign entanglements, commerce defense, and national security, deliberative assemblies are too slow and faction-ridden. A unified, energetic Executive exercising swift command is precisely what the Philadelphia Convention intended for national preservation.

Hamiltonian Stance: Supportive of Execution
GM

George Mason

Bill of Rights, Due Process & 10th Amendment

"The president will be surrounded by flatterers and sycophants... and the great powers of the executive will gradually absorb the liberties of the people." — Cato IV (Anti-Federalist, 1787)

The Anti-Federalist prism advises continuous democratic vigilance. Even routine administrative directives aggregate centralized federal power away from town halls and state assemblies toward a distant executive apparatus.

Anti-Federalist Stance: Eternal Vigilance Required
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Five Measurable "Constitutional Friction" Dimensions

An objective audit measuring potential separation-of-powers tension against the United States Constitution and established Supreme Court doctrine.

⚖️ Discretionary Twilight Zone
40 / 100 friction index
Dimension 1 • Art. I, §1 & §8

Legislative Encroachment & Purse

Moderate Friction

Administers commerce or fiscal programs requiring ongoing statutory delegation and legislative oversight.

Benchmark: Power of the purse, taxes/tariffs, and rule of law reserved to Congress.
Dimension 2 • Art. II, §1 & §3

Executive Scope & Faithfulness

Moderate Friction

Directs internal executive branch machinery, agency workflows, and federal personnel.

Benchmark: Faithfully execute laws enacted by Congress vs. unilateral decree.
Dimension 3 • 10th Amendment

Federalism & State Sovereignty

Moderate Friction

Engages state and local partners in cooperative federalism programs.

Benchmark: Police powers and un-delegated responsibilities reserved to the States.
Dimension 4 • 5th & 14th Amendments

Due Process & Individual Rights

Moderate Friction

Applies regulatory or compliance standards to private contractors or commercial entities.

Benchmark: Protection of private property, contracts, liberty, and procedural justice.
Dimension 5 • Separation of Powers

Youngstown Jacksonian Tier

Low Friction

The President operates strictly as the constitutional Chief Executive, carrying out policy established by Congress with strong statutory backing.

Benchmark: Express or Implied Congressional Authorization
⚖️ Audit Synthesis

This order operates within Justice Jackson’s Zone of Twilight, resting upon concurrent presidential authority or congressional silence.

Weighted composite: Art. I (25%), Art. II (25%), Federalism (15%), Due Process (15%), Youngstown (20%).
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How to read these dimensions: Executive power expands whenever an administration acts without explicit statutory authorization from Congress (Article I), touches upon police powers historically reserved to the states (Tenth Amendment), or limits private rights and property without judicial process. A low friction score indicates strict concordance with enacted law; a high friction score highlights orders testing the limits of presidential discretion.
Total Words
1,049
6,786 characters
Estimated Read Time
5 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
20.1
Post-Graduate Legal
Language Tone Score
+0.85
Constitutional Fidelity
How is this scored?
Text size:

Official Archival Text

View Source Document

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to promote the interests of American workers, businesses, consumers, and communities, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1 . #sec-1

Policy . America must lead the world on clean and efficient cars and trucks. That means bolstering our domestic market by setting a goal that 50 percent of all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in 2030 be zero-emission vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles. My Administration will prioritize setting clear standards, expanding key infrastructure, spurring critical innovation, and investing in the American autoworker. This will allow us to boost jobs—with good pay and benefits—across the United States along the full supply chain for the automotive sector, from parts and equipment manufacturing to final assembly. It is the policy of my Administration to advance these objectives in order to improve our economy and public health, boost energy security, secure consumer savings, advance environmental justice, and address the climate crisis.

Sec. 2 . #sec-2

Light-, Medium-, and Certain Heavy-Duty Vehicles Multi-Pollutant and Fuel Economy Standards for 2027 and Later . (a) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider beginning work on a rulemaking under the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q) to establish new multi-pollutant emissions standards, including for greenhouse gas emissions, for light- and medium-duty vehicles beginning with model year 2027 and extending through and including at least model year 2030. (b) The Secretary of Transportation shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider beginning work on a rulemaking under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-140, 121 Stat. 1492) (EISA) to establish new fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light-duty trucks beginning with model year 2027 and extending through and including at least model year 2030. (c) The Secretary of Transportation shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider beginning work on a rulemaking under EISA to establish new fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans beginning with model year 2028 and extending through and including at least model year 2030.

Sec. 3 . #sec-3

Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles Multi-Pollutant Standards for 2027 and Later . (a) The Administrator of the EPA shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider beginning work on a rulemaking under the Clean Air Act to establish new oxides of nitrogen standards for heavy-duty engines and vehicles beginning with model year 2027 and extending through and including at least model year 2030. (b) The Administrator of the EPA shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, and in consideration of the role that zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles might have in reducing emissions from certain market segments, consider updating the existing greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty engines and vehicles beginning with model year 2027 and extending through and including at least model year 2029.

Sec. 4 . #sec-4

Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles Greenhouse Gas and Fuel Efficiency Standards as Soon as 2030 and Later . (a) The Administrator of the EPA shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider beginning work on a rulemaking under the Clean Air Act to establish new greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty engines and vehicles to begin as soon as model year 2030. (b) The Secretary of Transportation shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider beginning work on a rulemaking under EISA to establish new fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty engines and vehicles to begin as soon as model year 2030.

Sec. 5 . #sec-5

Rulemaking Targets . (a) With respect to the rulemaking described in section 3(a) of this order, the Administrator of the EPA shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking by January 2022 and any final rulemaking by December 2022. (b) With respect to the other rulemakings described in section 2 and section 4 of this order, the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the EPA shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider issuing any final rulemakings no later than July 2024.

Sec. 6 . #sec-6

Coordination and Engagement . (a) The Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the EPA shall coordinate, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, during the consideration of any rulemakings pursuant to this order. (b) The Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the EPA shall consult with the Secretaries of Commerce, Labor, and Energy on ways to achieve the goals laid out in section 1 of this order, to accelerate innovation and manufacturing in the automotive sector, to strengthen the domestic supply chain for that sector, and to grow jobs that provide good pay and benefits. (c) Given the significant expertise and historical leadership demonstrated by the State of California with respect to establishing emissions standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles, the Administrator of the EPA shall coordinate the agency's activities pursuant to sections 2 through 4 of this order, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, with the State of California as well as other States that are leading the way in reducing vehicle emissions, including by adopting California's standards. (d) In carrying out any of the actions described in this order, the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the EPA shall seek input from a diverse range of stakeholders, including representatives from labor unions, States, industry, environmental justice organizations, and public health experts.

Sec. 7 . #sec-7

General Provisions . (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR. The White House, August 5, 2021.

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Referenced By Later Executive Orders (2)

Subsequent presidents who cited, amended, continued, or revoked this directive in later orders.

Donald J. Trump (2nd Term) • 2025-01-20
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Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 14,037, 86 Fed. Reg. 43,583 (Aug. 5, 2021).