President Trump to decide fate of California emission rules after Senate vote

California Attorney General Rob Bonta plans to challenge the measure in court. (3 min. read)

Author

Marcus Amick
May 23, 2025

The Senate (as many expected) voted to block California from banning gas-powered vehicles by 2035, with the measure now set to be decided by President Trump. 

Why it matters: If the resolution takes effect, it would strip states of the power to set their own EV targets and re-center control at the federal level. That could slow the rollout of electric models, extend the lifecycle of ICE vehicles, and shift how automakers and dealers plan for inventory, compliance, and future investment.

The details: The 51-44 vote (which repeals a waiver granted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the former Biden Administration that allows California to mandate EVs) has drawn praise in the industry, with some seeing it as an opportunity to come up with a more viable strategy for electric vehicles. 

“California needs a durable, market-aligned electric vehicle policy that reflects consumer demand, infrastructure availability, and affordability,” Brian Maas, president of the California New Car Dealers Association told CDG.

And some lawmakers agree.

“I want to be clear, I have no problem with electric vehicles. Consumers should be able to purchase the vehicle of their choice, but I do have a big problem with electric vehicle mandates that replace the will of the consumer and the will of the government,” stated Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia (via Cal Matters).

Between the lines: Revoke California’s emissions waiver follows a string of recent federal moves taking direct aim at electrification initiatives and other measures related to gas-powered vehicles.

  • A bill introduced in the House of Representatives aims to kill the $7,500 federal tax credit for new EVs after 2026 and the federal $4,000 tax credit for used vehicles by the end of the year.

  • EPA administrator Lee Zeldin’s X post calling stop-start technology “a climate trophy” is perceived as a message from the federal government to automakers that they should kill the tech.  

What’s next? The vote to roll back California’s EV rules will be challenged in court by California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

“…Republicans went around their own parliamentarian to defy decades of precedent. We won’t stand by as Trump Republicans make America smoggy again — undoing work that goes back to the days of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan — all while ceding our economic future to China…” said California Governor Gavin Newsom in an official statement.

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