Fueling The Conversation, Week of April 28th, 2025
Later today, the House of Representatives will consider a resolution to prevent the State of California from banning the sale of gas-powered cars and trucks. Shortly before leaving office, the Biden administration paved the way for the ban by granting California’s request for a Clean Air Act waiver, allowing the state to enforce stricter tailpipe emissions requirements than the federal government. Several states have chosen to follow California’s lead, as permitted by law. The ban would reduce consumer choice nationwide and make all vehicles, both new and used, more expensive.
With such far-reaching national implications, President Trump’s EPA, under the leadership of Administrator Lee Zeldin, rightly submitted the Biden administration action to Congress for consideration under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). Unsurprisingly, this move drew opposition from some Democratic lawmakers, who have long favored a ban on gas-powered vehicles despite the economic consequences. And so, as I wrote in my April 10th op-ed, they turned to unelected bureaucrats in the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Senate Parliamentarian’s office to try and thwart the Republican Congressional leadership from bringing this important resolution to the floor.
Though the GAO sided with the Democrats, it failed to deter the Republicans from bringing the resolution forward. Republican leaders are on solid ground with their decision. The CRA couldn’t be clearer: once an agency action lands on Congress’s desk for review, lawmakers have the authority to scrutinize and, if they choose, strike it down. The GAO has no binding statutory authority, and its role is merely advisory. The Republicans are also on solid ground with the voters, who elected President Trump on the promise to end former President Biden’s EV mandate.
Amid procedural squabbles over the CRA, it is important to recognize the harmful effects maintaining the waiver would have on the U.S. automobile market. Late last year, we published a report titled “When Government Chooses Your Car: Examining the Challenges and Complexities of a Transition to Electric Vehicles,” which critically analyzes the push for electric vehicle adoption in the United States. It argues that government policies promoting EVs through subsidies, mandates, and infrastructure investments overlook significant economic, practical, and environmental challenges, often exaggerating their benefits while ignoring consumer preferences and market realities. We also created the Save Our Cars Coalition, made up of over 40 national and state-based groups all committed to safeguarding American consumers’ freedom to choose the types of cars and trucks that best suit their needs.
The arguments against mandating EVs couldn’t be clearer. Now it’s up to Congress to step up to stop California’s ban on gas-powered cars and preserve consumer choice in the automobile market.
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Fueling the Conversation, a weekly column by IER President Tom Pyle, offers a principled take on energy events. Energy underpins all aspects of modern life, so policies that artificially limit production hurt everyday people paying to heat their homes and driving to work. “Green” groups push these policies for idealogical reasons, but this column uses economic logic and hard facts to advocate for energy freedom.
