President Signs Congressional Review Act Resolutions Attacking State Clean Vehicle Standards

(Washington, D.C. – June 12, 2025) Today, President Trump signed three unprecedented and improper Congressional Review Act resolutions to disapprove EPA waivers allowing California to implement clean air standards to protect millions of people from dangerous vehicle pollution.  

California has already announced that it will take legal action to challenge the resolutions and will continue to protect its people from harmful motor vehicle pollution. 

“For over 50 years, California has been a leader in developing and deploying the clean vehicle technologies that reduce pollution, protect vulnerable communities from smog and soot, and save consumers hard-earned money at the pump, all while supporting American manufacturing jobs and global competitiveness,” said Joanna Slaney, Vice President for Political and Government Affairs at Environmental Defense Fund. “We stand firmly with California and other states as they continue the vital work of improving air quality for their communities and fighting these unlawful attacks.” 

Since 1967, federal clean air law has guaranteed California’s right to its own more protective clean vehicle standards. Recognizing that California was already a leader in vehicle emissions control, and with the strong support of the state’s Congressional delegation and then-Governor Ronald Reagan, Congress explicitly guaranteed in the Clean Air Act that California could protect its millions of people from tailpipe pollution. That law requires that the head of EPA “shall” approve the state’s protections unless EPA can make specific findings that a program is not needed or cannot be achieved. 

This year, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin summarily and without public process reclassified the California preemption waivers as rules subject to expedited and limited review procedures under the Congressional Review Act. Congress then passed the resolutions in May despite an opinion from the Senate parliamentarian that Clean Air Act waivers allowing California to implement protective clean vehicle standards are not subject to the Congressional Review Act.