WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — In a landmark move with far-reaching implications for the U.S. auto industry and climate policy, the Senate voted Thursday to block California’s plan to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. The resolution, already approved by the House, now heads to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it into law.
The Senate’s action repeals a waiver granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in December under then-President Joe Biden, which allowed California to require that at least 80% of new vehicles sold in the state by 2035 be electric. Eleven other states, representing roughly a third of the U.S. auto market, had adopted California’s stricter emissions targets.
Senate Republicans hailed the vote as a victory for consumer choice and energy reliability, arguing that California’s aggressive zero-emission vehicle mandate effectively imposed a nationwide electric vehicle (EV) requirement. “The waivers in question allow California to implement a stringent electric vehicle mandate, which… ends up not just affecting the state of California, but the whole country,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.
California, which accounts for about 11% of U.S. vehicle sales, has long played a leading role in shaping national environmental standards through its unique authority to set tougher emissions regulations. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, denounced the Senate’s action and vowed legal action to defend the state’s authority under the Clean Air Act.
“This is not just about California,” Newsom said in a statement. “It’s about the future of our planet.” California air regulators also pledged to fight the repeal in court.
The vote marks a major win for automakers including General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Stellantis, whose industry group, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, has lobbied hard against the EV sales targets. “The fact is these EV sales mandates were never achievable,” said the group’s CEO, John Bozzella, adding that compliance would require automakers to divert capital from EV production just to buy regulatory credits from Tesla.
Tesla did not immediately comment on the vote.
This Senate resolution is part of a broader push by the GOP to roll back EV incentives and environmental rules. On the same day, the House passed legislation to eliminate the federal $7,500 EV tax credit, impose a new $250 annual fee on EV owners to fund road repairs, and repeal stricter emissions regulations for passenger and heavy-duty vehicles.
Environmental groups criticized the moves as a step backward in the fight against climate change, warning that it would delay the nation’s shift to cleaner transportation. Transportation remains the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
Democrats argued that California should retain the right to set its own vehicle standards. “Republicans are acting at the behest of the oil and gas industry,” charged Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York. He warned that the decision to bypass the traditional 60-vote filibuster threshold for blocking EPA waivers marked a dangerous new precedent. “This is a point of no return,” Schumer said.
Republicans created a new exception to the Senate filibuster rules to allow the vote, following a ruling by the Government Accountability Office and a nod from the Senate parliamentarian. The maneuver enables Congress to override EPA-approved state rules with a simple majority vote—a significant shift in legislative procedure.
The two other EPA waivers up for repeal would limit tailpipe emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and reduce smog-forming nitrogen oxide emissions from trucks. Both are also expected to be overturned by the Senate in the coming days.
If upheld in court, the reversal of California’s waiver could allow automakers to slow or cancel planned EV production, casting uncertainty over the timeline for widespread adoption of electric vehicles in the U.S.
