Sen. Elissa Slotkin is lone Democrat to cross party lines in vote to revoke California's EV emissions waivers
When the U.S. Senate voted 51-44 in favor of revoking three vehicle emissions waivers in California, Sen. Elissa Slotkin was among the senators voting in favor of their revocation. She was, in the final count, the lone Democratic Party member who voted that way.
Slotkin said she voted "to prevent California and the states that follow its standard from effectively banning gas-powered cars by 2035."
She defended her vote against party lines, saying she has "a special responsibility to stand up for the more than one million Michiganders whose livelihoods depend on the U.S. auto industry."
The waivers the Senate revoked include one that's frequently called California's "EV mandate," a rule to phase out gas-powered cars and require all new vehicle sales in California to be zero-emission by 2035. That rule was scheduled to go into effect in 2026.
"Michigan is the auto capital of the world," she said. "As of today, not a single one of these states is anywhere near complying with California's requirements and some are even reversing course. That means car manufacturers, including the Detroit Three, will be forced to eventually stop the sale of gas-powered cars in these states or pay competitors, particularly Tesla, for credits to remain compliant."
At the same time, Slotkin spoke out against the procedural aspects of the vote. Republicans argued that the Congressional Review Act gives Congress the ability to overturn rules passed by federal agencies, but Democrats argue that bypassing the filibuster sets a dangerous precedent, with some even questioning the legality of the move.
"Unfortunately, the way Senate Republicans brought this vote to the floor will have longstanding implications for how we change and make laws in the U.S. Senate. That is why I voted at least 11 times against the Republican attempts to change the Senate rules and bring this provision to the floor," Slotkin said. "House Republicans last night gutted those incentives for EV advancement. And let's make no bones about it, if this becomes law, China is poised to dominate that global marketplace for the foreseeable future at our expense."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the vote a "nuclear option."
Eric Henderson
Eric Henderson is Managing Editor, Midwest for CBSNews.com. He has won three Emmy Awards, an Eric Sevareid Award and two Edward R. Murrow Awards.
and contributed to this report.
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