The US Justice Department sued California Thursday alleging the state violated the Constitution with its regulations limiting vehicle tailpipe emissions, expanding the Trump administration’s fight against the state’s efforts to reduce air pollution through more stringent vehicle restrictions.
The administration’s lawsuit comes several months after Congress, through the Congressional Review Act, revoked waivers that allowed the state to make its own tougher vehicle emissions standards.
The administration, in its latest legal challenge against the state, alleges the California Air Resources Board’s carbon dioxide tailpipe emissions limits are preempted by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.
The complaint filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of California says “Congress unequivocally stated its preference for national uniformity by expressly and impliedly preempting any state laws and regulations that are ‘related to fuel economy standards’ for vehicles covered by federal” standards.
The lawsuit also targets California’s requirements that a certain amount of vehicles produce no carbon dioxide emissions, a mandate the administration says “establish a de facto market share quota for electric vehicles.”
A spokesperson for CARB said in an email the agency is “unable to comment on active litigation.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) office, meanwhile, accused President Donald Trump of “attacking the Golden State for trying to give Californians more freedom and cheaper options.”
“While the Trump administration surrenders the future of the auto industry to China, California will continue competing globally to win the clean vehicle market,” Anthony Martinez, a spokesperson for Newsom, said in an email. “This lawsuit is meritless, and we’re not backing down from this fight.”
US Attorney General Pam Bondi, meanwhile, alleged in a statement that “oppressive, expensive electric vehicle mandates drive up costs for American consumers and violate federal law” and said the state “is using unlawful policies from the last administration to create exorbitant costs for their citizens.”
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, whose agency is listed as a plaintiff in the Trump administration’s suit, also slammed the state, calling out the governor in particular.
“Gavin Newsom is determined to continue pushing Democrat’s radical EV fantasy – even if doing so is illegal,” Duffy said in a statement.
The EPA in the past has approved federal waivers to allow California to come up with stricter emissions regulations. Just before President Joe Biden left office, the EPA granted California another round of waivers. Other states have also adopted California’s stricter policies.
California and several other states sued the EPA in June, alleging the Congressional Review Act was improperly used to revoke the waivers. The agency has argued the states’ challenge should be dismissed.
The Trump administration and California have been playing legal and regulatory ping pong on this issue and other clean air fights since Trump took office, with the EPA most recently rejecting California’s regulation limiting emissions for heavy duty trucks.
The case is United States v. Calif. Air Res. Bd., E.D. Cal., No. 26-00450, complaint filed 3/12/26.
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