Congress Backs Withdrawal of Calif. EPA Waivers

Legislation stripping California of the ability to tighten emissions standards is making its way to the president after clearing Congress on May 22.

House Joint Resolutions 87 and 89 formally disapprove Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) waivers granted to California by the previous administration.

The House passed the resolutions in early May, and the Senate narrowly cleared them May 22, with 87 passing in a 51-45 vote, and 89 passing in a much narrower 49-46 vote.

Those EPA waivers formed the basis for the California Air Resource Board’s (CARB) Advanced Clean Trucks agenda. Although the waivers were granted in 2023, they were never enforced due to a series of legal challenges. CARB eventually dropped the effort in January, and other states piggybacking on that model have followed suit in recent months.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the votes “illegal” and said the state will “consider next steps for our clean vehicle programs.”