Overview

• California's Advanced Clean Cars II program, approved by the Biden EPA, mandates phasing out gas-powered vehicles by 2035, with 11 other states and Washington, D.C., planning to adopt the standards.
• The Senate parliamentarian and the Government Accountability Office ruled that California's vehicle emissions waivers are not subject to the Congressional Review Act (CRA), blocking a key Republican strategy to overturn them.
• Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, have introduced CRA resolutions to repeal the waivers despite procedural hurdles and unfavorable rulings.
• Republicans argue that California's EV mandate limits consumer choice and imposes nationwide economic burdens, while environmental groups defend the waivers as vital for public health and climate goals.
• Automakers often align with California's emissions standards, making the state's policies influential across the U.S. auto industry and central to national climate policy debates.