Republicans Aim at EPA’s Possible Approval of California Ban on Gas-Powered Car Sales by 2035

House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) speaks at a hearing in Washington, on June 23, 2020. Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images

A bill from House Republicans is targeting the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to issue Clean Air Act waivers for California that could lead to major restrictions or even bans on gas-powered vehicles.

Those waivers are a live issue. Last month, the California Air Resources Board asked the Biden administration for one so it can ban the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035, in line with a decision the board made last year.