House Vote Threatens California’s 2035 Gasoline Car Ban

In a move that could significantly impact the future of electric vehicle adoption and air quality standards, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives has voted to block California from implementing it’s pioneering regulations aimed at phasing out the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. This action follows a similar vote targeting California’s emissions standards for medium and heavy-duty vehicles, raising concerns about the state’s ability to combat smog-causing nitrogen oxide pollution.

Partisan Divide over state’s Authority on Emissions

The House votes, largely along party lines with some Democratic defections, challenge California’s long-standing authority to set stricter vehicle emission standards than the federal government. This authority, granted decades ago, has allowed California to be a leader in environmental policy. In 2020,Governor Gavin Newsom announced the enterprising plan to ban the sale of new gasoline vehicles by 2035,a key component of the state’s strategy to reduce emissions from the transportation sector,which currently accounts for over 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in California. The ban would still allow the sale of used gasoline cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Republican Rationale: Affordability and Grid concerns

Republicans argue that California’s mandates are unrealistic and will force Americans to purchase expensive electric vehicles. Representatives Brett Guthrie of Kentucky and Morgan Griffith of Virginia stated that repealing the exemptions would prevent increased prices for both new and used vehicles, reduce dependence on China (a major producer of EV batteries), and prevent overloading the nation’s electricity grid. However, experts point out that the cost of electric vehicles is steadily decreasing, with some models already reaching price parity with gasoline cars when factoring in fuel and maintenance savings.furthermore, investments in grid infrastructure are underway to support the growing demand for electricity from EVs.

The approval of these resolutions is a victory for the Americans, who will not be forced to buy expensive electric vehicles due to the unfeasible mandates of California. If they are not repealed, California exemptions would cause an increase in new and used vehicles prices, they would increase our dependence on China and overload our electricity grid.

Representatives Brett Guthrie and Morgan Griffith

Legal Challenges and Senate Showdown Looms

The House’s actions are based on the Congressional Review Act (CRA), intended to enhance congressional oversight of federal agency actions. However, the Senate parliamentarian, aligning with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), has indicated that California’s policies are not subject to review under the CRA. The GAO, a non-partisan congressional watchdog, stated in March that the CRA cannot legally block California’s standards. the fate of these measures now rests with the Senate,where a similar challenge is expected.

California Defends its Clean Air Goals

Governor Newsom has criticized the House vote as a sign of the Republican party’s shift away from environmental protection, contrasting it with the legacy of Republican presidents like Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, who championed landmark environmental legislation. He emphasized that clean air should not be a partisan issue and vowed to defend California’s vehicle program,which aims to improve air quality for all Californians. A spokesperson for the California Air Resources Board (CARB) reiterated the agency’s commitment to protecting public health from air pollution.

Clean air did not used to be a political issue. Our vehicle program helps clean the air for all Californians, and we will continue to defend it.

Governor Gavin Newsom

Industry Reactions and Potential Repercussions

While environmental groups have condemned the House vote, calling it a “trap” that could backfire in the future, the American Petroleum Institute and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers have applauded the move, describing it as a “great victory for US consumers.” These groups argue that California’s regulations give the state undue control over the US auto market. The outcome of this legislative battle could have far-reaching consequences for the future of electric vehicle adoption, air quality standards, and the balance of power between states and the federal government in environmental regulation.

The illegal prohibition of California should never have been authorized, and Governor newsom should never have had so much control over the US car market.

Mike Sommers,president and executive director of the American Petroleum Institute,and Chet Thompson,president and executive director of the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers