The Senate, led by Republicans, voted to block California's stringent electric-vehicle mandates, undermining the state's authority under the Clean Air Act. This decision also impacts 17 states and Washington, D.C., which follow California's tougher emissions regulations. Utilizing the Congressional Review Act, Republicans bypassed the usual legislative hurdles, despite bipartisan counsel stating such waivers should not be subject to this act. Democrats argue this move endangers public health and the environment while altering Senate and legal precedents. The act has been described as unprecedented, signaling further implications for the Clean Air Act and Congressional operations.
Today, the Senate has done something unprecedented. Our actions and the ones that will follow from the procedural steps taken here today... will change the Clean Air Act, will change the Congressional Review Act, will change the rules of the Senate.
The waivers are not rules and so are not subject to the Congressional Review Act. This decision defies the Senate parliamentarian's guidance and undermines decades of legal precedent.
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