House Republican lawmakers joined 35 Democrats and voted Thursday to decide on the Biden-era rule that effectively allowed California to impose a national electric vehicle (EV) mandate. [emphasis, links added]
In a 246-164 vote, House members voted for California's plan to transition from gasoline-powered vehicles.
Under the Advanced Clean Car II rule signed by Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the rule was signed under the Clean Air Act in December 2024 to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in the state and 11 units were sold in 2035.
“Today's vote is a huge win for American consumers. We are closer to consumers' ability to choose the car that best meets their needs,” he said. Chet Thompson, president and CEO of the U.S. fuel and petrochemical manufacturer, and Mike Sommers, American Petroleum Institute and CEO, wrote in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“The illegal ban in California should never be authorized, and News Norm should not be allowed to seize such a great deal of control over the U.S. vehicle market.”
Many other states have also chosen California's car rules, including Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
“American consumers, not tactile politicians, should decide which vehicle is best suited to their individual needs”,” Rep. John Joyce, a Republican, who sponsored the legislation, wrote in a statement to DCNF.
“Since I arrived in Washington, I have led this fight to protect consumer freedom and save the U.S. auto industry from dangerous environmental regulations. As this legislation is heading towards the first step toward President Trump, I urge my Senate colleagues to support this bill to save our auto industry and protect open roads,” he continued.
Joyce used the Congressional Review Act to propose a resolution that allowed Congress to bypass a taboo and overturn federal rules with a simple majority vote in the House and Senate.
If the Senate does not overturn the exemption, the EPA will have to go through a long rule-making process to back down, meaning California’s stricter zero emission standards may remain for years.
Reading breaks among daily callers
