Dick Durbin Slams GOP 'Nuclear Option' to Bypass Parliamentarian on California EV Reg

Senate Parliamentarian and California's EV Regulations

• 💡 Senator Dick Durbin highlights a Republican effort to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn a California regulation on electric vehicle sales.
• 📌 The Senate parliamentarian analyzed the GAO's opinion, ruling that Senate Republicans cannot use the CRA to overturn a waiver granted to California by the US EPA for vehicle emissions.
• 🎯 This California regulation aims for all new cars sold in the state by 2035 to be zero emission vehicles.

Historical Context and Precedent

• 🚗 Durbin recalls past debates on miles per gallon standards, where California stepped ahead to prove that technology could meet ambitious goals with the right incentives.
• ⚠️ He notes that Elon Musk, previously in favor of California's waiver, has now joined the Republican effort to overturn the rule.
• 🏛️ The parliamentarian's decision followed decades of precedent showing California's Clean Air Act waivers are not subject to the CRA.

The 'Nuclear Option' and Senate Precedent

• ⚡ Republicans are attempting to override the GAO and the Senate parliamentarian to advance a fossil fuel agenda.
• 📉 Durbin describes this move as a procedural 'nuclear option', a dramatic break from Senate precedent with profound consequences.
• 🚫 He emphasizes that the Senate has never overruled the parliamentarian regarding the CRA, and doing so would set a precedent for future majorities to achieve partisan goals.
• ⚖️ Durbin warns that overruling the parliamentarian is akin to killing the filibuster and calls for one set of rules for all senators.