Newsom vows legal fight after senate votes 3 times to block California clean car rules

Sacramento, California – California Governor Gavin Newsom is vowing to take the fight to court after the U.S. Senate voted to overturn the state’s landmark rule banning the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. Calling the vote “illegal” and “an unconstitutional attack,” Newsom said California would not back down in its push toward clean energy and climate leadership.

“This Senate vote is illegal,” Newsom said in a fiery press conference. “We won’t stand by as Trump Republicans make America smoggy again—undoing work that goes back to the days of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. We’re going to fight this in court.”

Passed with a simple majority after Senate Republicans changed long-standing filibuster rules, the measure blocks California’s zero-emission vehicle mandate, which the Biden administration approved in December, just before President Donald Trump returned to office.

Newsom and state Attorney General Rob Bonta slammed the move as a reckless abuse of the Congressional Review Act and a blatant attempt to dismantle California’s climate agenda. “Senate Republicans are bending the knee to President Trump,” said Bonta. “This is part of a continuous, partisan campaign against California’s efforts to protect the public and the planet.”

The Senate also voted to roll back two key California air rules: limiting tailpipe emissions and targeting nitrogen oxide pollution from heavy trucks. Republican leaders, including Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, argued that California’s EV standards are unrealistic and threaten to overburden the nation’s power grid and economy.

“America cannot meet these impossible standards—not next year, and not in 10 years,” Barrasso said.

Industry voices, like John Bozzella of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, echoed those concerns, calling the EV mandates “never achievable” and warning they could force automakers to rely on costly compliance credits from companies like Tesla.

But Democrats and environmental groups contend the vote is a giveaway to the fossil fuel industry. Senator Adam Schiff warned the Senate’s move “should send a chill down the spine of legislators in every state,” citing the danger of undermining state rights.

“This is about polluters being able to pollute more,” Newsom said. “It’s not about EVs—it’s about control.”

In response, California is joining a new 11-state coalition led by the U.S. Climate Alliance called the Affordable Clean Cars Coalition. The coalition aims to defend clean air standards and accelerate the nation’s EV transition. Participating states include New York, Colorado, and Washington.

The Senate-approved resolutions now head to the White House, where President Trump is expected to sign them into law. But Newsom made clear: “We’re not going quietly. We’re going to court.”