Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, spoke on the Senate Floor to demand Republicans stop their shortsighted attempts to overrule the nonpartisan Senate Parliamentarian’s decision and break the rules in order to rescind California’s clean air waivers. Senator Padilla, U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, held the floor after Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said today that he would move forward this week with a cynical attempt to rescind California’s Clean Air Act waivers with a 50-vote threshold under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), bypassing the filibuster and its 60-vote requirement by overruling the Senate Parliamentarian.

The Trump-led Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently submitted three California waivers as “rules” to Congress — despite knowing full well that these waivers were not rules under the law. The Senate Parliamentarian determined that any resolutions aimed at overturning California waivers would not be entitled to the CRA’s expedited procedures and would therefore require 60 votes to secure Senate passage.

Prior to his remarks, Senator Padilla posed two parliamentary inquiries to the Chair, making clear that Senate Republicans’ planned actions would not abide by the rules of the Senate.

Padilla began his remarks by underscoring the immense importance of California’s clean air waivers for cleaning up the state’s uniquely severe air quality challenges. He highlighted his own experience growing up in the San Fernando Valley, where he was frequently sent home from school because of dangerous air quality.

Padilla warned that Republicans’ attempt to throw out the Senate rulebook and revoke California’s waivers would significantly harm the public health of millions of people. He also called out Republicans for undermining the work members of their party like Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon did to protect California’s air quality.

• “I wonder if any other member in this chamber grew up like I did, where on a pretty regular basis, we would be sent home from grade school because of the intensity and dangers of smog that settled over the San Fernando Valley, the City of Los Angeles. How many of you grew up to more reports of “unhealthy” air quality in the air quality index? … But that’s the case for far too many Californians still to this day.”

• “Congress recognized, rightfully so, that air quality in West Virginia or Wyoming is different than it is in Southern California. That there’s fewer cars on the road in Salt Lake City than there are in Los Angeles. And because California was and still is the center of innovation in the United States.”

• “Yet in 2025, it appears that Republicans want to overturn half a century of precedent in order to undermine California’s ability to protect the health of our residents. By using the Congressional Review Act to revoke California’s waivers that allow us to set our own vehicle emissions standards, Republicans seem to be putting the wealth of the Big Oil industry over the health of our constituents.”

• “As parents, we have some level of control certain things like the food we give our kids or the medications that we provide. But some things that we can’t control as parents include the quality of the air that they breathe outside. … Unless industry were to somehow decide to suddenly just do the right thing, it’s incumbent upon government to act. And that’s what California has done.”

Padilla emphasized that California’s leading emission standards are important not only for public health, but to combat the climate crisis. He stressed that despite Republicans’ false and misleading claims to the contrary, California cannot impose its emission standards on any other state. Instead, other states have chosen voluntarily to follow California’s example.

• “California’s emission standards also represent ambitious but achievable steps to cut carbon emissions and fight the climate crisis. We’ve taken a stand because we know transportation is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. And California has been proud to set the example for other states who may choose to follow suit.”

• “I want to be clear: California has not and cannot force our emission standards on any other state in the nation. As much as I may love that authority, that does not exist. But yes, over a dozen other states have voluntarily followed in California’s footsteps — not because they were forced to, but because they chose to in order to protect their constituents, their residents, and protect our planet.”

Padilla highlighted that California’s clean emissions programs have propelled California to becoming the fourth-largest economy in the world and the biggest contributor to the federal treasury. He emphasized that the costs of inaction against the climate crisis cost Americans an average of $2,500 a year in medical bills and over $820 billion in total, according to estimates by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

• “California didn’t get there by sticking our head in the sand as the clean energy transition blossomed elsewhere. We leaned in. And we proved that what’s good for the air is good for business. What’s good for the planet and public health is good for the economy.”

• “Meanwhile, the costs of inaction continue to hit Americans where it hurts the most: in our wallets.”

Padilla further stressed the extreme consequences if Republicans ignore the Parliamentarian, effectively blowing up the filibuster. He highlighted that while he and other Democrats supported lowering the threshold to pass a bill in 2022, Republicans defended the filibuster relentlessly — a dramatic contrast from their current attempts to revoke California’s waivers under a simple majority vote. He noted that Republicans must know they don’t have enough votes to amend the Clean Air Act under regular order, instead opting to ignore the independent, nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Senate Parliamentarian to pursue this “nuclear option.”

• “It’s not just why Republicans are trying to undermine California’s climate leadership. It’s how they’re trying to do it.”

• “Yes, I do support lowering the threshold to move to pass a bill from a super majority to a simple majority — but only after there has been an opportunity for amendments and debate — in an effort to stop the endless partisan gridlock that prevents so much more progress that the American people deserve. I voted to make that rule change — and codify it in the Senate rules. But in 2022 when we did so, Republicans opposed it, and they defended the filibuster and the 60-vote threshold as sacred.”

• “Now, Republicans are trying to pass these bills — that strike at the heart of the Clean Air Act’s provision for California — on a simple majority, 50-vote threshold, bypassing the filibuster.”

• “Republicans are effectively saying that whenever the Parliamentarian rules against them, they can simply disregard her to bypass the filibuster and pass legislation on a simple majority vote. So no, this isn’t some one-off change to the rules — this is throwing out the rulebook entirely.”

• “Because if they can ignore the Parliamentarian here, then why not on an upcoming tax bill? Or on their efforts to gut health care for many Americans? Or whatever the latest overreach is called for by President Trump?”

Padilla underlined a list of non-rule actions the Trump Administration could take in bogging down Congress with reviews from the past 30 years on items including vaccine approvals, broadcast licenses, merger approvals, and more, enabling President Trump’s political retribution. He detailed Republican priorities a future Democratic Administration could try to undermine, including mining permits, fossil fuel projects, foreign policy, tax policies, and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) disruptions. He concluded with a final push urging his colleagues not to abuse the CRA to rescind California’s Clean Air Act waivers.

• “So to my Republican colleagues, I should also say this: the old adage says, ‘what goes around comes around.’ And it won’t be long before Democrats are once again in the driver’s seat here, in the majority once again. And when that happens, all bets would be off because of the precedent you could be setting here at this moment.”

• “I would urge my colleagues, all my colleagues, to join me not just in defending California’s right to protect the health of our residents, not just in combating the existential threat of climate change, but in maintaining order in this chamber.”

Senator Padilla has been outspoken in pushing back against Republican attacks on California’s Clean Air Act waivers. Earlier today, Padilla placed a hold on the four pending EPA nominees until Republicans stop their reckless attempts to overrule the Senate Parliamentarian. Earlier this month, Senators Padilla, Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Whitehouse took to the Senate floor to sound the alarm on Senate Republicans’ consideration of moving forward with their plan to revoke California’s Clean Air Act waivers. Padilla, Whitehouse, and Schumer also led Democratic Ranking Members in strongly warning Majority Leader Thune and Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) of the dangerous and irreparable consequences if Senate Republicans overrule the Senate Parliamentarian’s decision on California’s waivers.

Last month, Senators Padilla, Whitehouse, and Schiff welcomed the Senate Parliamentarian’s decision that the waivers are not subject to the CRA. Padilla also joined Whitehouse and Schiff in blasting Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s weaponization of the EPA after the GAO’s similar finding. Padilla and Schiff previously slammed the Trump Administration’s intent to roll back dozens of the EPA’s regulations that protect California’s air and water.

Video of Senator Padilla’s full remarks is available here.

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