President Donald Trump signed legislation seeking to rescind California’s ambitious auto emission standards, including a landmark rule that would’ve eventually barred sales of new gas-only cars in California by 2035.
In a bill signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Thursday, Trump slammed California’s planned zero-emission requirements for new car sales as “a disaster for our country.” During a meandering 50-minute speech, he argued that California’s regulations would raise car prices, hobble American car companies and place an incredible strain on electrical grids across the country.
“We officially rescue the U.S. auto industry from destruction by terminating the California electric vehicle mandate, once and for all,” Trump said to applause from a room filled with conservative legislators and business representatives.
“This horrible scheme would effectively abolish the internal combustion engine, which most people prefer,” Trump continued.
Trump boasted the legislation would “kill the California mandates forever,” declaring it would dash progressive plans to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles.
“They can’t take us to court,” he said. “They can’t do any of the things they can do with the executive orders, and it’s permanent.”
But moments after he signed the three bills into law, California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta led a coalition of 10 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to challenge Trump’s laws, which had been approved by Congress in May. Bonta argued Congress unlawfully acted to upend California’s emission rules by invoking the Congressional Review Act, a law designed to allow legislators to rescind major federal rules adopted toward the end of a presidential administration. California and several congressional rules experts have said the Congressional Review Act could not be used to overturn federal waivers that enable California to enforce its auto emission standards.
“We’re doing this to ensure future generations inherit a livable planet with breathable air,” Bonta said at a news conference Thursday morning. “Meanwhile, the president’s divisive, partisan agenda is jeopardizing our lives, our economy and our environment. It’s reckless, it’s illegal, and because of it, we’ll be seeing the Trump administration in court again for the 26th time.”
By signing these three bills into law, Trump invalidated some of the most innovative regulations adopted by California environmental rule makers and undercut California’s long-standing authority to set more rigorous vehicle emission standards:
- The Advanced Clean Cars II rule would’ve required car companies to sell California dealerships an increasing percentage of new zero-emission or long-range hybrid vehicles, starting at 35% in 2026. The regulation would’ve culminated in a ban on the sale of new gas-only cars in California in 2035.
- Advanced Clean Trucks rule, which would’ve required a significant percentage of medium- and heavy-duty truck sales be zero-emission by 2035.
- The Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Omnibus rule that established cleaner engine standards and required warranties for new heavy-duty vehicles.
In his second term, Trump has repeatedly attacked California’s ambitious auto emission rules, including the Advanced Clean Cars II regulation, which he has incorrectly described as an electric vehicle mandate. The rule does not block the sale of used gas-only cars or other zero-emission vehicles, like hydrogen-powered cars.
Because of its historically bad air quality, California is the only state that has been given permission to adopt auto emission standards that are stricter than federal standards. Many other Democratic states adhere to California’s auto emission rules, which has put pressure on auto companies to comply with the state’s progressive rules. That has irked a number of Republicans, including Trump, who believe there should be a unified slate of auto standards set by the federal government.
“It’s had us tied up in knots for years,” Trump said in his remarks Thursday morning. “They’d pass these crazy rules in California, and 17 states would go by them. The automakers didn’t know what to do because they’re really building cars for two countries.”
But California needs a federal waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its pace-setting auto emission standards to be enforceable.
Michael Regan, the former U.S. EPA administrator under Biden, granted several California waivers, including two in December 2024.
The Senate controversially voted to overturn California auto emission rules by using the Congressional Review Act, a law that allows legislators to review and potentially block federal rules adopted toward the end of a presidential administration.
However, the Senate parliamentarian and Government Accountability Office had previously determined these federal waivers are not rules, they are administrative orders, and are not subject to the Congressional Review Act.
Despite those rulings, the Senate moved ahead with the vote and advanced the bill to Trump’s desk with a simple majority vote.
