On May 22, 2025, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution introduced by Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) to disapprove California’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The mandate, part of California’s “Advanced Clean Cars II” regulation, seeks to prohibit the sale of new gas-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035.
Senator Capito expressed satisfaction with the Senate’s decision: “Today, the Senate voted to end California’s EV mandate and send my joint resolution of disapproval under the CRA to President Trump’s desk. The Biden administration and Congressional Democrats tried to block the will of the American people from this attempt by extreme unelected California and Biden EPA bureaucrats to ban gas-powered cars throughout the country, but Congress has now spoken and soundly rejected this rule. 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. I’m proud to have led this effort to protect American workers and consumers from this radical and drastic policy,” she stated.
The initiative was part of a series of actions taken by Senator Capito since December 2024 when she pledged to reverse what she described as a “lame duck action” by the Biden administration in approving California’s waiver for implementing its EV regulations.
Significant dates in Senator Capito’s efforts include her joining with Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.-05), Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), and Rep. John Joyce (R-Pa.-13) on February 28, 2024, in sending a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan regarding potential legal and economic impacts if California’s waiver were granted.
Further developments saw her collaborate with Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Markwayne Mullin on April 4, 2025, introducing resolutions under CRA against these waivers that restrict sales of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035 while imposing stringent requirements on heavy-duty trucks.
By May 1, 2025, following approval from the House of Representatives for these resolutions, Senator Capito continued advocating for their passage through her speeches on May 21 emphasizing why ending California’s EV mandate was crucial according to her perspective.
