Senate will try to block California vehicle standards that would phase out gas-powered cars

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 6:27 PM EDT, May 20, 2025


WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Senate will move this week to block California from enforcing a series of vehicle emissions standards that are tougher than the federal government’s, including first-in-the-nation rules phasing out the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Tuesday that the Senate will begin to consider three House-passed resolutions that would roll back the standards. Final votes could come as soon as this week.

His announcement came despite significant pushback from Democrats, questions from some Republicans and the advice of the Senate Parliamentarian, who has sided with the U.S. Government Accountability Office in saying California’s policies are not subject to the review mechanism used by the House.

The resolutions would block California’s rules to phase out the gas-powered cars, along with standards to cut tailpipe emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and curb smog-forming nitrogen oxide pollution from trucks. Like the House, Senate Republicans are using the Congressional Review Act, a law aimed at improving congressional oversight of actions by federal agencies, to try to block the rules. The Trump administration in 2019 revoked California’s ability to enforce its own emissions standards, but Biden later restored the state’s authority.

Republicans have argued that the rules effectively dictate standards for the whole country, imposing what would eventually be a nationwide electric vehicle mandate. Around a dozen states have already followed California’s lead.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/senate-california-epa-vehicle-emission-standards-656614ff3248f970a7b9aa91182e1139

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The GOP is ignoring the Senate Parliamentarian that has said that the Congressional Review Act (CRA) does not apply to "waivers" (which are actually an option of the Clean Air Act and not some random "regulation" they can overturn using the CRA).

[doc03]

1. Maybe ICE vehicles could be phased out in California. I don't know I don't live there but here in Ohio

where I live there are no public chargers. There were billions of dollars in the infrastructure bill for electric chargers.
The last I heard there were only 50 some built in less than 10 states. Five years ago, I considered buying an EV but didn't
for that reason. I heard they are going to build chargers and today there is zero improvement. I bought a new hybrid this year
but not an EV because of the lack of infrastructure to support EVs still doesn't exist.

[Miguelito Loveless]

2. Do you own your own home,

or rent? What state are you in?

[Polybius]

3. There are plenty of Tesla Supercharging stations in Ohio though

There are none near you?

[doc03]

4. I know of a half dozen for Teslas at a gas station

about 35 miles from here. I would walk before buying a Tesla.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. State's Rights

[doc03]

6. Maybe there should be an investigation where

that money went

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. GOP Senators are NOT going to bypass the Senate Parliamentarian on trump's nasty big bill

The trump bill has a ton of provisions that are NOT proper under reconciliation rules. trump and others want the Senate republicans to not submit this bill to the Senate parliamentarian for review and instead pass the bill without complying with the reconciliation rules. For example the part of the trump bill that provides that the courts cannot enjoin trump if he violates the law. That provision is clearly void under the reconciliation rules.

I am happy to see that the Senate is NOT going to go around the Senate Parliamentarian because if the GOP pulls this stunt, then the Democrats would be free to also ignore the filibuster rules. Having to have the Senate Parliamentarian pass on this bill which should mean that good number of the provision in this bill will be deleted.

Link to tweet

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/06/02/congress/senate-parliamentarian-overrule-thune-00380848

Senate Majority Leader John Thune signaled Monday that Republicans won’t move to overrule the chamber’s parliamentarian during an upcoming debate on President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”

“We’re not going there,” Thune said when asked by reporters about overruling Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who will play a special role in vetting the bill for compliance with the strict Senate rules allowing Republicans to bypass a Democratic filibuster.

Senate staffers met with MacDonough during last week’s recess to vet the House-passed megabill and talk through their own ideas, conversations first reported by POLITICO. Thune said that committee staffers tasked with drafting the legislation will continue conferring with her this week and next week. At the end of the process, MacDonough will make rulings on whether various policies comply with the chamber’s rules.

The question about the fate of the parliamentarian comes after Senate Republicans sidestepped her in a recent fight to nix waivers allowing California to set its own emissions standards.

At least one of Thune’s members is already publicly floating that his party should be willing to directly overrule MacDonough on the megabill. In a tweet last month, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) wrote on X that “disagreeing with the Senate parliamentarian may be warranted if the parliamentarian gives bad advice, and it’s wrong to suggest otherwise.”

Several significant pieces of the House-approved bill are at risk of falling out of the legislation as it moves through the Senate.