As the Golden State continues to grapple with its one-party rule, questions are being raised about the sustainability of its political landscape.
The Republican Party is increasingly concerned about the direction California is taking, particularly with its recent "clean car rule" that aims to ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars by 2035. The GOP is now questioning whether it's time to let California bear the consequences of its decisions and whether Californians will finally say "enough is enough" to the dominance of the affluent coastal elites in Sacramento.
According to RedState, Republicans in Congress are making concerted efforts to halt the implementation of California's clean car rule, which they view as an overreach of the state's authority. However, their attempts are being met with significant procedural obstacles. The U.S. House of Representatives recently voted 246-164 on a GOP resolution expressing disapproval of California's Advanced Clean Cars II rule, which mandates a gradual increase in the percentage of zero-emission cars sold in the state, reaching 100% by 2035.
Before the end of the Biden administration, California was granted a Clean Air Act waiver in December, allowing the clean car rule to proceed. Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom lauded the decision, stating that "clean cars are here to stay" and that "California can rise to the challenge of protecting our people by cleaning our air and cutting pollution."
The GOP's commitment to federalism is being tested by this issue. The party is grappling with a complex system of overlapping regulations and bureaucracies, with some Congressional Republicans, including those from California, striving to save the state from what they perceive as its own misguided policies.
However, the path to overturning the clean car rule is fraught with procedural difficulties. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office has determined that the Biden administration's waiver for the new California policy does not qualify as a rule that can be overturned under the Congressional Review Act. The Senate's parliamentarian, who oversees the chamber's rules and procedures, also ruled this month that the waiver is not subject to the CRA.
This has led to concerns that the Senate may be unable to block the rule, raising the possibility of it taking effect in the near future. This prospect has drawn criticism from some quarters of the energy and auto industry. It appears that the Biden-era rule, backed by California's Democratic majority, may remain in place.
The goal of eliminating the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles in a decade may be unattainable. Adding to the complexity, several other Democrat-led states have a tendency to adopt California's auto emissions policies, regardless of their feasibility.
The rule does not currently affect cars already in the state, and it remains unclear how it would handle vehicles brought into California from other states. There is also no provision preventing Californians from purchasing a car in another state and bringing it back. However, the rule is likely to make owning and driving a car more expensive in California. It's worth noting that there is no such thing as a "zero-emissions" vehicle, as emissions are merely shifted from one location to another.
This situation raises the question of whether the GOP, both in Congress and in California, should step back and allow Sacramento to make what they perceive as another misguided decision. Such decisions often have a significant impact on the remaining middle class in California, further exacerbating the state's economic and social challenges.
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