The Trump administration filed a federal lawsuit on March 12 against California’s vehicle‑emission program, claiming the state lacks authority to enforce even its less stringent standards. The action targets rules the California Air Resources Board says will remain in effect despite the litigation, re‑igniting a years‑long showdown over who can set emissions limits for automobiles.
Governor Gavin Newsom’s office denounced the suit, with spokesperson Anthony Martinez asserting that “gas prices are soaring nationwide because of Trump’s reckless choices, and now he’s attacking the Golden State for trying to give Californians more freedom and cheaper options.” The complaint arrives as gasoline in California hit $5.37 a gallon, well above the national average of $3.60, while prices have risen roughly 20 percent since the United States and Israel began striking Iran.
Dan Farber, faculty director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment, called the timing “ironic,” noting many drivers are weighing electric‑vehicle options amid the surge in fuel costs. The lawsuit follows President Donald Trump’s broader effort to roll back what he calls “oppressive, expensive electric‑vehicle mandates,” a stance echoed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said the mandates “drive up costs for American consumers and violate federal law.”
California’s waiver authority—granted under the Clean Air Act to adopt stricter emissions standards than the federal baseline—was stripped during Trump’s first term and restored in 2022 under President Joe Biden. The current suit questions whether the state can even enforce its existing, less ambitious standards, a legal battle that could reshape the nation’s approach to automobile pollution and electric‑vehicle adoption.