In a clear display of federal overreach, the Trump administration’s plea to Republicans in Congress to block California’s ludicrous ban on new gas-powered cars was met with resistance. The Senate parliamentarian decided the obscure legislative ploy Republicans intended to use to stop this absurdity from coming to fruition, was deemed inappropriate according to their rules. This ill-conceived plan put forth by the state of California requires that by the year 2035, all cars sold should be devoid of greenhouse gas emissions.
The Senate parliamentarian’s ruling, delivered on a plain Friday, added further hurdles in the way of efforts by the Trump administration to squash these policies that unjustifiably champion electric vehicles. An overreach like this is a disservice to traditional industries that have long supported American progress and job market.
California ran off with a federal waiver which Biden’s administration irresponsibly granted under the 1970 Clean Air Act. It allowed the state to implement stricter automobile emissions standards than those set by the federal government. Far from being a cause for celebration, this waiver is essentially endorsing economic instability and straining industry practices.
With carte blanche, California enacted an impractical plan demanding that by 2035, every new car sold in the state must be free of greenhouse gas emissions. The primary culprit in their eyes, carbon dioxide, remains a natural and necessary chemical compound, one that maintaining strict control over could have unforeseeable consequences.
Unfortunately, balancing the economy with the environment need not always be a zero-sum game, yet this plan seems to suggest otherwise. It is hailed as one of the most ambitious climate policies in United States, aiming to push the auto industry towards electric cars.
Predictably, this policy quickly became the prime target for elimination by the Trump administration who viewed it as an impractical burden on the industry. It’s not hard to see why. The auto industry hinges on practicality and usability, and an arbitrary shift to fully electric vehicles simply does not deliver on those fronts.
The senate parliamentarian deemed that the waiver bestowed on California was exempt from the Congressional Review Act. This moves dangerously beyond the checks and balances designed to ensure that detrimental policies do not go unchecked or unchallenged by lawmakers. The Act, which allows lawmakers to reverse recently-adopted regulations with a simple majority vote, appears to have no weight here.
Three Senate Democrats proclaimed the decision but stubbornly declined to release the text of the ruling. This characteristic lack of transparency is a telling sign of the convoluted political maneuvers lawmakers often employ to push through potentially damaging legislation.
In sum, the decision of the Senate parliamentarian carried a significant impact on the Trump administration’s efforts to terminate the policies promoting electric vehicles. These policies, we must remember, run the risk of trivializing tried and tested industries that form the backbone of the American economy.
The Biden administration’s irresponsibly ‘generous’ waiver, allowing California to enforce more stringent standards than their federal counterparts, not only seems injudicious but also puts unnecessary strain on the autonomous car-making industry and their consumers.
California’s idea of reducing greenhouse gases through such drastic measures is a classic case of drastic action without thorough thought. Instead of creating smart, sustainable policies that can harmonize economic progress with environmental responsibility, we see knee-jerk reactions that could hamper the industry and consumer choice.
Questionably exempt from the Congressional Review Act, the waiver granting California absurd level of autonomy has rightly been identified by the Trump administration as a policy needing elimination. It could turn out to be a stumbling block for a mature and globally influential industry.
The three Senate Democrats’ decision not to reveal the text of the ruling reflects the recurrent lack of transparency in such important decisions. In the end, it is the citizens who face the consequences of such clandestine maneuvers in the chambers of power.
Stripping California’s move to its barebones – a forced transition to electric vehicles by 2035 – the plan’s feasibility suffers at the behest of political scoring. The benefits of electric cars cannot be denied, but such an aggressive move leaves little room for market environment adaptation and technological development, potentially turning this venture into a surefire policy misstep.
The post Biden Enables Hasty and Imprudent Emission Policies in California appeared first on Real News Now.
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