Senate votes⁣ to Revoke California’s EV Rules, Impacting Emissions Standards

⁢ ‍ Updated may 27, 2025
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the ⁤U.S. Senate has voted 51-44 to⁤ overturn California’s⁢ ability to enforce its own stringent air pollution standards for vehicles, including ⁤a ban on gasoline-powered car sales by 2035. This⁣ move also rescinds waivers allowing California to ‍set stricter⁢ emissions standards for ⁤new diesel trucks⁣ and mandating zero-emission trucks. The decision has sparked controversy ⁤over states’ rights and the future of ⁣electric vehicle adoption.

For nearly six decades,⁣ California has held the unique⁢ authority under the clean Air Act to implement⁢ vehicle emissions standards exceeding federal requirements, recognizing the state’s pioneering role in air quality regulation. This authority is now under threat.

Environmental advocates are criticizing the Senate’s action, arguing that California’s regulations serve as a crucial benchmark for national emissions reduction and public ⁢health protection. Because automakers typically avoid creating separate product ‍lines for different states, California’s‍ rules ‍often influence standards nationwide. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have adopted many of the California Air Resources Board’s⁤ regulations.

“These standards are vital in protecting people from the vehicle pollution which causes asthma attacks and other serious ⁢health problems,”⁢ said⁤ Dan Lashof, a senior fellow at the World Resources institute.

Legal and policy experts have raised concerns about the Senate’s use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the EPA waiver granted to California. The⁣ CRA, enacted in 1996, allows Congress to nullify certain federal actions with⁣ a simple majority vote. Critics argue that the CRA was not intended for‍ this purpose.

Joanna Slaney,vice president for political and government affairs at the Environmental Defense Fund,stated that Republicans had “twisted the Senate’s own rules.”

The central point ‍of contention ⁤is whether the EPA’s air pollution waiver to California qualifies as a “rule” under the CRA.‍ The government Accountability Office and⁣ the Senate parliamentarian have issued advisory opinions suggesting it does not. ⁣Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, seemed to ⁢agree, noting⁣ in a document about his bill to ‍repeal⁣ California’s waiver that the EPA action “cannot be reviewed under the Congressional Review Act⁣ because the waiver granted by EPA is not a rule as that term⁣ is ⁢defined in ⁢the CRA.”

Sen. Alex Padilla,D-Calif.,⁣ accused Republicans of having “gone nuclear on the⁤ Senate rule book.”

UC Berkeley Law ⁣professor Dan Farber⁢ suggested the Senate’s interpretation of ‍the CRA could‍ lead to its use in rescinding waivers related to Medicaid,broadcasting licenses,and⁤ pollution permits.

Farber clarified that the Senate’s action only nullifies specific waivers affecting gasoline-powered car sales in California, not⁤ the Clean Air Act provisions allowing the EPA to issue‍ new waivers. He believes California can ⁤still propose and the‍ EPA can approve revised emissions regulations in the future.

California’s‍ current standards mandate that ⁤35% of new car sales be zero-emission vehicles by⁢ 2026, increasing⁢ to 100% ⁢by 2035. A⁢ previous attempt by President Donald Trump ⁤to revoke California’s waiver was challenged ⁤in court⁢ and overturned by ⁣the Biden administration.

John Bozzella, president and⁣ CEO of the Alliance for ⁤Automotive Innovation, praised the Senate’s vote, stating that the EV ⁢sales mandates were “never achievable.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta vowed to challenge the Senate vote in court. Gov. Gavin Newsom warned that overturning ‍California’s air pollution rules risked ceding dominance in the car industry to China.

What’s next

California officials are expected to pursue legal challenges to the Senate’s decision. The state‍ may also explore ⁤alternative strategies for achieving its emissions reduction goals, such as proposing revised regulations that could pass muster under the‍ Clean ⁢Air Act.