Congressman Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, announced on Mar. 30 that he has issued a subpoena to Lauren Sanchez, Chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), for documents and communications related to vehicle emissions regulations previously nullified by Congress. This is Guthrie's first subpoena as chairman.
The action comes after reports that CARB has continued to deny auto manufacturers approval to bring vehicles to market unless they comply with Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT), Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II), and Omnibus Low NOx regulations—rules that were invalidated last year through three Congressional Review Act resolutions signed into law. The committee said its staff had received these reports despite the federal disapproval of California's vehicle standards banning gas-powered cars and trucks.
According to Guthrie, multiple requests for cooperation from CARB went unanswered, prompting the subpoena for documents concerning implementation of the ACT, ACC II, and Omnibus regulations. These include communications between CARB and both Governor Gavin Newsom’s office as well as the California Attorney General’s Office. "The Committee began its investigation after reports that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) had been denying approvals to bring new vehicles to market unless auto manufacturers agreed to comply with California’s burdensome EV mandate, despite the fact it had been nullified by CRA resolutions signed into law last June. California’s refusal to cooperate with our investigation has left the Committee no choice but to issue a subpoena in order to receive the documents it requested from CARB," said Guthrie. "Forcing Americans to buy unreliable, and costly, EVs would eliminate consumer choice, strain our electric grid, raise costs, and increase our reliance on entities tied to the Chinese Communist Party. We will continue to follow the facts and demand accountability from California. I urge California to comply with this subpoena speedily and in good faith."
Under Section 209(a) of the Clean Air Act states are barred from adopting or enforcing their own vehicle emissions standards without a waiver from federal preemption; under Section 209(b), such waivers can be granted by EPA at state request. Previous administrations approved waivers allowing bans on gas-powered vehicles in favor of electric vehicle mandates by 2035.
President Donald J. Trump signed three Congressional Review Act resolutions on June 12 disapproving these waivers for California's stricter emission standards—a move supported across party lines in Congress—and legal challenges are ongoing without any current injunctions against enforcement.
Electric vehicle adoption rates remain below targets set by those now-nullified rules: New York was expected under ACC II rules for model year 2026 sales share at 35%, but actual market share remains lower; even leading state California reached only about 26% as of December last year. The production process for electric vehicle batteries relies heavily on minerals sourced through foreign supply chains dominated by China where mining is more emissions-intensive than domestic U.S.-based production.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee oversees legislation related not only to energy but also health care policy, environmental protection efforts such as this case involving car emissions standards enforcement actions according to its official website. The committee has played roles shaping policy around energy innovation initiatives as well as broadband access expansion according its official website. As one of Congress' oldest standing committees—dating back formally under other names since 1795—it holds longstanding influence over major national issues according its official website.
