Statement on Signing Legislation Regarding Congressional Disapproval of Environmental Protection Agency Rules Relating to Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Standards in California

Statement on Signing Legislation Regarding Congressional Disapproval of Environmental Protection Agency Rules Relating to Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Standards in California

June 12, 2025

Today, I signed into law (1) H.J. Res. 87, "Joint Resolution providing congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to 'California State Motor Vehicle and Engine Pollution Control Standards; Heavy-Duty Vehicle and Engine Emission Warranty and Maintenance Provisions; Advanced Clean Trucks; Zero Emission Airport Shuttle; Zero-Emission Power Train Certification; Waiver of Preemption; Notice of Decision'"; (2) H.J. Res. 88, "Joint Resolution providing congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to 'California State Motor Vehicle and Engine Pollution Control Standards; Advanced Clean Cars II; Waiver of Preemption; Notice of Decision'"; and (3) H.J. Res. 89, "Joint Resolution providing congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to 'California State Motor Vehicle and Engine and Nonroad Engine Pollution Control Standards; The 'Omnibus' Low NOX Regulation; Waiver of Preemption; Notice of Decision'".

These bipartisan measures prevent California's attempt to impose a nationwide electric vehicle mandate and to regulate national fuel economy by regulating carbon emissions. Because of the joint resolutions I signed today, California's Advanced Clean Cars II, Advanced Clean Trucks, and Omnibus Low NOX programs are fully and expressly preempted by the Clean Air Act and cannot be implemented.

Preemption of these programs is essential to preserving the Constitution's allocation of power both among the States and between the States and the Federal Government. It is the Federal Government, not States, that should establish vehicle emissions standards given the inherently interstate nature of air quality; a patchwork of State vehicle regulations on this subject is unworkable. Our Constitution does not allow one State special status to create standards that limit consumer choice and impose an electric vehicle mandate upon the entire Nation.

As the Congress's joint resolutions make clear, California's attempts to impose an electric vehicle mandate, regulate national fuel economy, and regulate greenhouse gas emissions are not eligible for waivers of preemption under section 209 of the Clean Air Act. This provision of the Clean Air Act authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to grant waivers to California to address only compelling and extraordinary localized issues. It can never again be misused to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, which inherently do not have localized effects, much less compelling and extraordinary local effects, or vehicle emissions across the Nation.

Under the Congressional Review Act, the EPA cannot approve any future waivers that are "substantially the same" as those disapproved in the joint resolutions. The core of the waivers at issue are their authorization of California to regulate greenhouse gas and NOX emissions from internal combustion engines and to impose what amounts to an electric vehicle mandate across the Nation. Accordingly, the joint resolutions prohibit the EPA from approving future waivers for California that would impose California's policy goals across the entire country and violate fundamental constitutional principles of federalism, ending the electric vehicle mandate for good.

DONALD J. TRUMP

The White House, June 12, 2025.

NOTE: An original was not available for verification of the content of this statement.

Categories: Bill Signings and Vetoes : Legislation regarding congressional disapproval of Environmental Protection Agency rules relating to vehicle fuel efficiency standards in California, signing statement.

Subjects: California, vehicle fuel efficiency standards; Carbon emissions, reduction efforts; Electric and hybrid vehicles, promotion efforts; Environmental Protection Agency; Fuel efficiency standards, improvement efforts; Legislation regarding congressional disapproval of Environmental Protection Agency rules relating to vehicle fuel efficiency standards in California.

DCPD Number: DCPD202500684.