The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to overturn California’s landmark regulation banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, a move that threatens to derail the state’s climate agenda and reignites the national debate over states’ rights and energy policy.
The resolution, which now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for expected approval, targets the strictest vehicle emissions rule in the country. The vote came after Senate Republicans bypassed the filibuster to challenge three of California’s environmental waivers previously granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The California rule—first announced in 2020 by Governor Gavin Newsom—aims to phase out internal combustion engine vehicles in favor of electric alternatives. While plug-in hybrids and used gas vehicles would remain legal, the plan effectively mandated an EV transition in the new vehicle market. The EPA approved the state’s request to enforce the standard last December.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) argued the measure had nationwide implications. “Because of California’s size and the number of states aligning with its mandates, this EV rule affects the entire country,” Thune said. Republicans also passed resolutions to block new tailpipe standards for heavy-duty trucks and restrictions on nitrogen oxide emissions.
Democrats condemned the moves, accusing Republicans of pandering to the fossil fuel industry and undermining local control. California officials have already threatened legal action to defend the state’s authority to set its own emissions rules.
California accounts for roughly 11% of the U.S. car market and wields outsized influence on automaker strategy. The state has long held waivers allowing it to set stricter environmental standards than federal law, and its EV mandates have been adopted in some form by over a dozen other states.
The Senate’s decision marks a sharp shift in federal environmental policy under the Trump administration, which has doubled down on oil and gas production and rolled back multiple Biden-era climate initiatives.
If signed into law, the resolution would strip California of its authority to implement its aggressive EV mandate—potentially setting back the state’s climate goals and reshaping the trajectory of America’s auto industry.
