Despite GAO Findings, U.S. House Set to Vote on Repeal of California Clean Vehicles Emissions Waivers
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives will vote today and tomorrow on Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions aimed at repealing the federal government’s approval of California’s landmark plan to increase vehicle fuel efficiency, clean up the air, and increase consumer choices for electric vehicles across the state by 2035. Despite a March finding by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that found the Clean Air Act waivers cannot be repealed under the CRA, Republican leaders of the House scheduled votes to repeal the Advanced Clean Cars II, Advanced Clean Trucks, and Heavy-Duty low-NOx Omnibus waivers.
In response, Will Anderson, policy advocate with Public Citizen’s Climate Program, issued the following statement:
“The independent GAO and the respected Senate Parliamentarian have reaffirmed decades of precedent that the Clean Air Act’s waivers for California and aligned states are not subject to the Congressional Review Act. With House Republicans moving these legally baseless CRA resolutions forward, they are not only undermining state rights but also setting a dangerous precedent for all administrative actions moving forward.
“Abusing the CRA to target policies far outside its reach would be a calamity both within and well beyond the scope of environmental protections. If the House passes these baseless and harmful CRAs, it would not only violate long held precedent but open a Pandora’s Box of reckless attacks on vital safeguards for Americans in nearly every aspect of our lives. The House should stop wasting its time on reckless votes and allow California and other aligned states to set stronger clean air standards without interference.”
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