•      "The Trump Administration is attempting an end run around the administrative process it is supposed to follow if it intends to revoke the waiver California received for three important programs to cut air pollutants from cars and trucks. The problem for the Trump Administration in using the CRA is that the statute doesn’t apply to waiver decisions. The statute on its face is clear about that and the Governmental Accountability Office has twice made that clear. Nevertheless, just yesterday House Republicans introduced three resolutions to repeal the waivers under the CRA. But their efforts were just dealt a big blow. The Senate Parliamentarian has issued a decision that the CRA does not cover the California waivers. Under normal circumstances, her decision should end the CRA shenanigans. But these are not, of course, normal times. Although the Senate virtually always respects the decisions of the Parliamentarian, recent news reports make clear that Senate Republicans are attempting to bypass her role as the institution’s “referee” in their attempt to extend multi-billion-dollar tax cuts for the rich while claiming the tax cuts will not increase the deficit." Source: Legal Planet - Environmental Law and Climate Policy Insights

•      "California, like all other states, has the inherent obligation to protect the health of its citizens. Federal law limiting vehicle pollution has recognized and respected that right for over 50 years, by allowing California to set its own new vehicle emissions standards to address our extraordinary and compelling air pollution problems, and allowing other states to choose those standards as well. California has led the nation in cleaning up cars precisely because our circumstances required more stringent standards to protect public health and clear the air. Now 13 other states and the District of Columbia freely choose to follow our rules. California’s demonstrated progress in leading the nation’s control of vehicle emissions has established a precedent that has benefitted the entire nation when our more stringent rules supplanted national rules over time." Source: California Air Resources Board