[Source / Observer Network Wang Yi] The unrest in California over protests against the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigrants has yet to subside, and Trump plans to "strike hard" at the state's electric vehicle policy.

Politico reported that Trump plans to sign three resolutions on June 12, revoking California's power to set its own vehicle emissions standards.

Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito and California Republican Congressman Kevin Kiley, who were involved in drafting the resolution to repeal California's electric vehicle sales requirements, confirmed that the White House has arranged for a signing ceremony at 11 a.m. on the 12th.

Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, through his spokesperson in a statement said, "If it ends with a 'Y,' then it is another day that Trump declares war on California, and we are fighting back."

Screenshot of California Governor Gavin Newsom

Politico noted that Trump's signing will ultimately complete months of efforts by his administration to prevent California from implementing stricter rules for passenger cars and commercial trucks as well as setting higher standards for heavy-duty diesel engines.

In 2020, Newsom proposed that by 2035, at least 80% of new vehicles sold in California should be electric, with plug-in hybrid models accounting for no more than 20%.

In December 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Biden administration granted California this policy an exemption, allowing the plan to be implemented without being subject to federal law. This means that a series of changes and revocations of executive orders made by the Trump administration after taking office would not affect California's decisions.

The Trump administration has been trying to revoke this power granted to California by the Biden administration. In February, Lee Zeldin, the EPA administrator appointed by Trump, stated that the EPA had submitted California's exemption to Congress for review, opening the door to quickly overturning this exemption.

On May 22, Republican lawmakers used the Congressional Review Act (CRA), an unconventional legislative tool, to reject California's exemption by a simple majority vote of 51 to 44. The CRA was signed into effect by former President Clinton in 1996, allowing Congress to bypass lengthy debates in the normal legislative process and directly overturn new regulations within 60 days of their publication using a joint veto resolution with a simple majority vote. This is also the first time the bill has been considered to have binding effect on exemptions since its signing.

This resolution still requires the president's signature to take effect, but clearly, Trump is not prepared to oppose this resolution. The far-reaching impact of this resolution is that once it takes effect, relevant agencies will no longer be able to issue substantially identical regulations unless they receive new legislative authorization from Congress.

At the time, Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California, threatened to object to this resolution, and if Trump signs it, he will file a lawsuit.

California Road, The New York Times

Politico noted that since former President Nixon signed the Clean Air Act in 1970, California has always possessed the unique power to establish stricter air quality standards than the federal government. State officials and environmental organizations believe that this exemption is necessary for California, which is the most polluted area in terms of air quality in the United States. Moreover, under this power, California has already established stricter emission standards, and more than a dozen other states have adopted California's standards.

Republicans argue that California, by leveraging this exemption, is "imposing" their "extreme" emission standards on other states, making it unnecessary for other states to implement similar standards without an exemption.

Democrats criticized Republicans for "illegally" invoking the CRA, pointing out that this law does not apply to state exemptions granted under the Clean Air Act. They also threatened to use the CRA in the future to disrupt some Republican agendas.

The New York Times analyzed on May 23 that if Trump signs this resolution, it will deal a heavy blow to electric vehicles in the U.S., significantly reducing their sales and production and hindering global efforts to combat climate change.

The report noted that while this resolution will not completely eliminate electric vehicles in the U.S., it will increase their prices, causing some automakers to delay plans to build new car and battery factories, and further lag behind China and Europe in the electrification transition.

"We will eventually achieve this goal in the long run," Jessica Caldwell, director of insights at automotive consulting firm Edmunds, said, but "the next decade will be full of challenges."

This article is an exclusive contribution by Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7514510802381029951/

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