The United States Senate overturned California’s strict emissions standards waiver this week.
With a vote of 51 to 44, the Senate overturned the waiver to allow California to set its own air pollution standards.
The vote occurred under the authority of a little-known law called the Congressional Review Act (CRA), a process through which privileged resolutions are used to roll back regulations and bypass the Senate’s typical 60-vote threshold required for passage.
The requirements of the overturned waiver exceeded federal mandates and required rapid growth in electric vehicle production, starting with 35 percent of new sales within the state in model year 2026 and reaching 100 percent of new sales by 2035.
Two separate waivers were also revoked related to heavy-duty trucks under the same authority. One waiver permitted California to mandate zero-emission trucks, and the other authorized stricter emissions standards for new diesel trucks.
The House of Representatives previously revoked the three waivers in late April and early May through the CRA. The measures now head to the president’s desk, where he is expected to sign them into law.
