President Donald Trump has signed congressional resolutions that block California's plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. This policy, adopted by 12 states including New Jersey, was initially approved under a waiver granted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the Biden administration.
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions nullify this waiver, which would have allowed the gradual implementation of the ban on gas car sales. Trump criticized the California Advanced Clean Car II (ACCII) rules as "crazy" and a "disaster for our country." He also reversed policies aimed at reducing tailpipe emissions and nitrogen oxide pollution from trucks.
In response, California's attorney general filed a lawsuit against these actions, joined by New Jersey and other states. NJ Attorney General Matt Platkin stated, "The federal government is breaking basic procedural rules in a misguided effort to pollute our air and hurt the public health of our residents. Revoking state vehicle emissions standards is illegal, and it is yet another way that the Trump administration is violating the law to target states it disfavors."
For New Jersey, one of the states following California's ACCII rule, this repeal means they cannot fully ban new gas-powered car sales in 2035 as intended. The rule was set to begin with the 2027 model year but now must align with less stringent federal EPA standards.
Ray Cantor from NJBIA described the resolutions as a “pragmatic, common sense response” to an unrealistic mandate. He argued that following California’s mandate would limit consumer choice and worsen income inequality in New Jersey.
The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and American Petroleum Institute supported Trump's decision. They issued a statement saying, “The President and Congress just delivered a major win for the American people by overturning California’s gas car ban... Today’s historic signing is critical for protecting U.S. families, manufacturing workers and our national energy security.”
The lawsuit claims that Trump's actions are unconstitutional and seeks to have them declared void. It argues that invalidating California’s waivers breaches constitutional principles of federalism and separation of powers.
California's complaint was joined by attorneys general from Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
This story was updated at 4:30 p.m. Thursday after NJ and other states joined California's lawsuit.
