Republicans Aim to Stop California’s ‘Radical’ Ban on Gas Cars

Republicans in the U.S. Senate have sent a clear message to California and the Biden administration radical climate policies will not dictate the future of American transportation. On Thursday, 50 Republicans and one Democrat voted to overturn the EPA waiver that allowed California to enforce a ban on new gas-powered cars by 2035 a move that 11 other liberal-led states were eager to follow.

The resolution, already passed by the Republican-controlled House, now heads to President Donald Trump, who has firmly declared that no state will be allowed to outlaw gas vehicles under his leadership.

“When I’m president, no state in America will be permitted to ban gas-powered cars or trucks, and I guarantee it,” Trump said at a campaign rally in Michigan the heart of America’s auto industry.

The effort to reverse the EPA’s Clean Air Act waiver was spearheaded by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, who described California’s move as nothing short of economic sabotage.

“The impact of California’s waiver would have been felt across the country, harming multiple sectors of our economy and costing hundreds of thousands of jobs in the process,” Capito stated.

Here’s why the GOP blocked California’s ban:

• The mandate would cripple the U.S. auto industry, threatening over one million jobs in Michigan alone.

• It represents a backdoor national policy, as 11 other states were poised to adopt California’s extreme standard.

• The plan was crafted not by Congress, but through executive waivers and regulatory overreach bypassing democratic accountability.

Even one Democrat broke ranks: Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), who sided with Republicans to protect her state’s economic future.

“As Michigan’s U.S. Senator, I have a special responsibility to stand up for the more than one million Michiganders whose livelihoods depend on the U.S. auto industry,” Slotkin said.

Senate Republicans used the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to bypass the filibuster and force a vote. While Democrats like Chuck Schumer cried foul, claiming the GOP was “hijacking” the CRA, voters see the move for what it is: a defense of consumer choice and economic sanity.

And make no mistake California is already threatening legal warfare. Attorney General Rob Bonta vowed to sue, accusing Republicans of “playing partisan games.” In reality, it's California that’s trying to impose its environmental extremism on the rest of the country, using federal waivers to backdoor a national gas car ban.

This is more than a policy dispute it’s a fight over freedom, federalism, and the American way of life. Under Biden, California has become the model for a green dystopia: forced EV mandates, energy shortages, rolling blackouts, and astronomical costs for working families.

President Trump and Republican lawmakers are slamming the brakes on that vision before it crashes into the rest of America.

If you believe that Americans not bureaucrats in Sacramento should decide what kind of car they drive, share this article and subscribe to our newsletter for more updates.