California Governor Critiques Congressional Action on EV Mandate

California Governor Gavin Newsom expressed his frustration on Thursday after Congress passed a mandate concerning electric vehicles (EVs) in the state. With a touch of sarcasm, he remarked, “Make America smoggy again,” following the Senate’s vote of 51-44 to repeal the exemption that previously benefited California’s regulations. This action came after a bipartisan majority in the House took similar steps, as noted by various reports this month.

The repeal utilized the Congressional Review Act, a law established during the Clinton administration, which permits Congress to overturn regulations that haven’t been timely approved. Newsom argues that the exemption in question should not be subject to these reviews.

During a press conference, he announced:

Governor Newsom, alongside Attorney General Rob Bonta, revealed plans for the state to initiate legal action against the U.S. Senate’s efforts concerning California’s Clean Vehicle Program.

The Republican-majority Senate is allegedly misusing the Congressional Review Act to try and annul the California Clean Air Act exemption, which supports the state’s clean vehicle and truck initiatives. This move undermines long-standing precedents indicating that such exemptions are outside the CRA’s scope, contradicting the findings of the nonpartisan government accountability office and other senators.

Interestingly, Ashley Zavala from Sacramento’s NBC affiliate KCRA noted that neither California residents nor the voting public has ever shown support for Newsom’s EV mandate.

Governor Newsom’s initiative aims to ban gas-powered vehicles by 2035, even though the state has struggled to meet its EV sales targets.