DAVID BLACKMON: Trump Shatters Newsom’s Disastrous Week by Axing EV Mandate

The past week has posed significant challenges for California Governor Gavin Newsom. His perceived absence of leadership, coupled with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s inaction, prompted President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard along with 700 U.S. Marines to Los Angeles. This move aims to restore order amid escalating riots in the city.

In a further blow, Trump signed three resolutions on Thursday which effectively dismantle California’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate—a cornerstone of Newsom’s regulatory strategy. “Under the previous administration, the federal government gave left-wing radicals in California dictatorial powers to control the future of the entire car industry,” Trump stated during the signing ceremony.

Newsom responded with a statement condemning the use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to nullify California’s waivers. He criticized it as a partisan attack against California’s efforts to combat pollution. However, this reaction may lack substance given the gravity of the situation.

Following Trump’s actions, California Attorney General Rob Bonta swiftly filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. He was joined by attorneys general from 10 other states, marking the 26th lawsuit Bonta has initiated against the Trump administration since the beginning of the year. Bonta’s office has already allocated $5 million to this ongoing legal battle, with an additional $25 million approved by the state assembly to support his cause.

The resolutions seek to:

• Repeal a clean air act waiver issued by the Biden administration allowing California to require that all new cars sold by 2035 be classified as “zero emissions vehicles” by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
• Block mandates for zero-emission sales targets for commercial trucks.
• Remove heightened standards for heavy-duty diesel engines to limit nitrogen oxide pollution.

Bonta’s main argument is that revoking California’s Clean Air Act waivers through the CRA is both unprecedented and illegal. Although the CRA provides Congress the means to rescind regulations finalized by a departing administration, its rare invocation raises questions about its applicability in this context.

Moreover, CRA actions circumvent the Senate filibuster, making them immune to judicial review. Because the CRA has seldom been used, its application against EPA waivers is uncharted territory. Bonta appears hopeful that the courts might intervene, but the likelihood of prevailing, especially at the appellate level, seems uncertain.

Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who proposed one of the resolutions, argued that such mandates restrict consumer choice. “These mandates force Americans into vehicles they don’t want or can’t afford,” she noted. This perspective suggests that Newsom’s push for EV adoption may not align with consumer preferences.

Overall, the situation illustrates a troubling scenario for Gov. Newsom, who finds himself marginalized while others address the fallout from his policies. This dynamic raises questions about effective governance in California.

Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.