California has been doing its own thing when it comes to air pollution from cars for almost 60 years. They’ve had the freedom to set standards stricter than the federal government’s ones, thanks to a rule in the Clean Air Act. This rule was put in place to acknowledge California’s impressive track record in keeping a lid on air emissions.
But hold on a minute. The U.S. Senate decided to rain on California’s parade by voting to take away the state’s special powers. They voted to scrap a waiver that allowed California to basically ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars by 2035. Not only that, they also axed waivers that let California enforce tougher emissions standards for new diesel trucks and require zero-emission trucks. Environmental groups were quick to speak up, arguing that California’s rules are crucial for public health and for hitting emission reduction goals across the country.
The real kicker here is how the Senate went about revoking California’s waiver. They used the Congressional Review Act, a law that lets Congress overturn federal actions with a simple majority vote, instead of the usual 60 votes required. Legal and policy experts were not having it. They said the CRA wasn’t meant for this kind of situation. But hey, who listens to experts these days, right? The Senate just did what they wanted anyway. And now, it’s got everyone wondering what other rules they might try to bend or break in the future.
