Congress took the next step toward overturning the latest emission regulations and electric vehicle mandates imposed by the California Air Resources Board.
On Friday, Republican senators introduced joint resolutions of disapproval against CARB’s Advanced Clean Trucks, Heavy-Duty Omnibus, and Advanced Clean Cars waivers.
The lawmakers introduced these resolutions after EPA submitted Congressional reports on CARB’s waivers under the Congressional Review Act in February. Congress can overturn an agency rulemaking by passing disapproval through the CRA. If the CRA resolutions pass both houses of Congress and the president’s desk, it could dissolve the waivers and prevent EPA from allowing a similar waiver in the future.
Congress frequently introduces bills and resolutions to eliminate emissions standards, though they rarely succeed. The Republican majority across both chambers of Congress makes these latest resolutions much more likely to pass.
However, even if they pass, the resolutions would face significant challenges in court because they are legally wrong: The CRA concerns agency rules, not waivers.
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Trucking industry applauds lawmakers
Trucking industry groups, many of which are critical of recent emissions standards and EV mandates, celebrated the introduction.
“The trucking industry commends our congressional champions for introducing these resolutions, which would take the regulatory keys away from unelected CARB bureaucrats whose mad dash to zero poses a grave threat to the supply chain and our economy,” American Trucking Associations CEO Chris Spear said. “Thanks to the leadership of these lawmakers, Congress can restore EPA’s authority to set commonsense, achievable national standards that promote innovation and put us back on the path to lowering emissions while accounting for the operational realities of our essential industry.”
The American Truck Dealers, part of the National Automobile Dealers Association, also applauded the resolutions.
"The standards set forth in these two regulations have already significantly impacted truck dealers’ ability to sell trucks in the state, with California dealerships experiencing a reduction in year-over-year sales by over 50%,” the American Truck Dealers said in a statement. "ATD supports one national standard for heavy-duty truck emissions with realistic timelines and requirements that can deliver innovative and cost-effective emissions solutions. The CRAs are an important step in that direction, and ATD supports their passage."
