President Donald Trump is set to sign a measure on Thursday morning preventing California from banning the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035, a White House official confirmed to the Washington Examiner.
He is also expected to sign two other resolutions blocking California from curbing tailpipe emissions in some vehicles and smog-forming nitrogen oxide pollution from trucks.
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Trump will ban California’s first-in-the-nation emissions standards after Congress greenlit their repeal under the Congressional Review Act. The Senate voted late last month to block the regulations, roughly three weeks after the House voted to overturn them in early May.
Under former President Joe Biden‘s tenure, the Environmental Protection Agency granted California a waiver to mandate that 80% of new cars sold be electric vehicles by 2035. The Golden State faces some of the worst pollution in the country.
As a long-time proponent of fossil fuels, Trump has tried to reverse the Golden State’s aggressive efforts to limit the use of gas-powered cars. Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to spur the export of American energy.
Several of Trump’s Cabinet members are expected at the Thursday ceremony, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin.
Ahead of the signing, several automakers and related advocacy groups championed the rescinding of California’s rules on vehicles and trucks, which are stricter than the federal standard.
“We thank President Trump, EPA Administrator Zeldin, and congressional leadership for taking decisive action to end crippling, detached-from-reality rulemakings that would have imposed devastating economic consequences on American businesses and families,” said Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, in a statement.
“We appreciate the actions taken by President Trump to sign H.J. Res. 88 into law and help align emissions standards with today’s market realities,” General Motors said in a statement. “We have long advocated for one national standard that will allow us to stay competitive, continue to invest in U.S. innovation, and offer customer choice across the broadest lineup of gas-powered and electric vehicles.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has vowed to fight back in court against the rescinding of the regulations.
“If it’s a day ending in Y, it’s another day of Trump’s war on California,” Newsom spokesman Daniel Villasenor told the Associated Press in an email. “We’re fighting back.”
TRUMP EPA MOVES TO REVOKE BIDEN POWER PLANT EMISSION RULES
The Thursday signing also comes amid Trump’s feud with Newsom over Los Angeles protests against immigration officials and the federal government’s deployment of the National Guard to quell the violence.
Newsom dared Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, to arrest him as the standoff intensified. Trump appeared willing to support Homan if he did decide to arrest Newsom.