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4mo ago

Senate Republicans Advance Vote to Overturn California’s Emissions Waivers

Republicans defy GAO and Senate parliamentarian rulings, pushing to block California’s 2035 zero-emission vehicle mandate using the Congressional Review Act.

Electric vehicle chargers from Electrify America are shown in a shopping center parking lot in Oceanside, California, U.S.,October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
FILE - In this Dec. 10, 2015, file photo, vehicles make their way westbound on Interstate 80 across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as seen from Treasure Island in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)
FILE: Rep. Kevin Kiley answers a question from the moderators during the California recall debate at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Calif., on Aug. 4, 2021.
EVGO Inc. Fast electric vehicle chargers are shown charging a Chevy Bolt in Encintas, California, U.S.,October 17, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

Overview

  • The Senate GOP is moving forward with a vote to rescind EPA waivers granted to California, which allow the state to phase out gas-powered vehicles by 2035.
  • Both the Senate parliamentarian and the Government Accountability Office determined that the waivers are not subject to the Congressional Review Act, but Republicans are proceeding regardless.
  • Key moderate Republican senators, including Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, remain undecided, potentially impacting the outcome of the vote.
  • Democrats warn that overriding the parliamentarian sets a dangerous precedent for Senate procedural norms and could weaken the filibuster in future legislative battles.
  • California’s emissions standards influence national policy, as 11 states and Washington, D.C., have adopted the rules, representing a significant share of the U.S. auto market.