The Republican-controlled Senate voted Thursday in favor of repealing the waiver granted to California by the Biden administrationās Environmental Protection Agency that allowed the state to ban gas-powered cars.
The Biden administration finalized two rules impacting vehicle emissions. TheĀ tailpipe emission standards set limits on emissions from vehicles. And the National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationāsĀ Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards limited emissions across fleets of vehicles. Because automakers could only meet the standards by selling EVs, critics called the rules aĀ de facto EV mandate.Ā
The waiver allowed California to set emissions standards higher than those set by the EPA. Because 11 states and the District of Columbia have adopted Californiaās regulations, and because manufacturers understand that California is by far the largest market for new cars, Californiaās EV mandate would likely maintain an EV mandate nationally, even if the other rules were to be repealed,Ā critics argued.Ā
āUnelected people in California and the Biden administration abused the Clean Air Act waiver process to try and force a backdoor EV mandate. With President Trumpās anticipated signature, he and the Republicans in Congress will finally put an end to a decades-long quest by the fringe left to force people out of their cars,ā Tom Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance, said in a statement.Ā
The resolution revoking Californiaās waiver was introduced under theĀ Congressional Review Act (CRA), allowing Congress to block finalized federal regulations. The House last monthĀ passed the resolution 225-196.
