Citing Reagan And Nixon, Newsom Condemns Congress’s Attack On California’s EV Plan

Photo: GovTech

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC – In a move aligning with Donald Trump’s agenda of reversing everything possible that the previous Joe Biden administration had instituted, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted on May 1 to block California’s landmark 2035 plan to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles, a policy already adopted by 11 other states.

The House passed legislation to repeal a waiver granted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under former President Joe Biden in December, which permitted California to mandate that at least 80% of new cars and light trucks sold in the state by 2035 be electric.

Major automakers, represented by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (which includes companies like General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Hyundai), had advocated for the repeal. They argued that the stringent targets set by California were not practically achievable and could force them to limit the overall number of vehicles available for sale to meet the required EV sales proportion.

California Governor Gavin Newsom sharply criticized the House action, stating, “The Republican-controlled House illegally used the Congressional Review Act (CRA) today to attempt to repeal California’s Clean Air Act waivers, which authorize California’s clean cars and trucks program.”

Newsom emphasized the historical bipartisan support for California’s clean air authority, recalling, “Clean air didn’t used to be political. In fact, we can thank Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon for our decades-old authority to clean our air.” He pointed out that California’s Clean Air Act waivers date back to the Nixon Administration and were crucial in addressing the state’s severe air pollution, with efforts ramping up under then-Governor Ronald Reagan when he established the California Air Resources Board.

The California Air Resources Board regulations have been adopted by 11 other states, including New York, Massachusetts, and Oregon, representing a significant portion of the U.S. auto market.

The U.S. House also separately voted on April 30 to rescind the EPA’s 2023 approval of California’s plans for increasing zero-emission heavy-duty trucks and a Biden-era waiver for the state’s “Omnibus” low-NOx regulation for heavy-duty vehicles.

The legality of Congress revoking these waivers using the CRA remains a key issue. The GAO concluded in March that the CRA, which requires only a Senate majority, cannot be used to repeal these specific waivers.

Newsom underscored the benefits of California’s clean vehicle program, stating, “Our vehicles program helps clean the air for all Californians, and we’ll continue defending it.” He also addressed the economic implications, asserting, “Washington may want to cede our economy to China but California is standing by American innovation.”