On the Dash:
- Four Senate Republicans filed CRA resolutions targeting California’s Clean Air Act vehicle emissions waivers.
- Sen. Husted’s resolution targets Advanced Clean Cars II; Sen. Schmitt’s targets the state’s core emissions waiver.
- A repeal could ease EV sales requirements for dealers in California and states following its standards.
Four Senate Republicans introduced Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions this week to overturn EPA waivers that allow the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to set vehicle emissions standards stricter than federal rules, reopening a fight that already reshaped one round of EV mandates last year.
Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio joined Sens. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Eric Schmitt of Missouri on the resolutions. Husted is leading the effort to overturn a Biden-era waiver that lets California require other states to adopt its Advanced Clean Cars II standards, which include a phaseout of new gas-powered vehicle sales.
“Ohioans shouldn’t be forced to follow California’s lead when it comes to policies that make everyday life more expensive and less convenient,” Husted said in a statement about the resolutions.
The four resolutions rely on the Congressional Review Act, which lets Congress repeal an agency action by simple majority vote rather than the 60 votes most legislation requires in the Senate. The waivers themselves trace back to authority California holds under the Clean Air Act. Notably, republicans used the same CRA process last year to rescind three Biden-era EPA waivers covering trucks, buses and passenger vehicle emissions standards. That earlier round drew a lawsuit from California, which is still working through federal court and argues the waivers were referred to Congress illegally in the first place.
For dealers, another repeal push adds to a stretch of regulatory whiplash around EV inventory planning. California’s rules have pushed automakers toward selling a rising share of electric models and meeting tailpipe limits well below federal standards. A successful repeal would remove one of the main levers behind those requirements, giving dealers in California and the states that follow its standards more room on how their new-vehicle mix shakes out.
The resolutions still need to clear the full Senate before reaching President Trump’s desk. Given how the last round played out, dealers can expect another legal fight regardless of the outcome.
