U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, spoke at the Senate GOP Leadership Press Conference about a joint resolution of disapproval she introduced under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The resolution aims to repeal California's electric vehicle (EV) waiver, which prohibits the sale of new gas-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035.
During her remarks, Capito highlighted her leadership role in addressing this issue. "As Chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I am the one who is leading the California waiver Congressional Review Act," she stated.
Capito criticized the rule associated with California's waiver, describing it as overly burdensome. She argued that it limits consumer choice and forces certain states and consumers to purchase vehicles they may not want or be able to find. "The onerous quality of this rule is just beyond description," Capito said. "It really eliminates what I think our country was built on, which is individual choice and making decisions for yourselves."
She also commented on the delay in granting California's waiver by the Biden administration. According to Capito, although California requested this waiver in May 2023, it was not granted until late December 2024. She suggested that this delay occurred because "the American people reject this handily."
Capito further explained that under Administrator Zeldin’s leadership during the Trump administration, this mandate was submitted as a rule within Congress's boundaries under the Congressional Review Act.
