“We Will Not Forget:” Padilla Sends Strong Warning as Republicans Go Nuclear to Revoke California Clean Air Waivers
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, blasted Republicans for their shortsighted revocation of California’s clean air waivers by overruling the nonpartisan Senate Parliamentarian’s decision and going nuclear on the Senate rulebook. Republicans defied their own promises and broke 30 years of precedent by moving forward with their cynical repeal of 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.
Over the last few weeks, Padilla has spoken on the Senate floor repeatedly to sound the alarm on Senate Republicans’ revocations of these critical waivers.
“Over the last 24 hours, Trump and radical Republicans have gone nuclear on the Senate rulebook, stopping at nothing to attack California for protecting the health of my constituents, for having the audacity to lead the clean energy economy. California became the fourth-largest economy in the world by leaning in to the clean energy transition, and we’ve proved that what’s good for the planet and our air is good for business. By denying California the ability to control our own toxic air and greenhouse gas emissions, Republicans are threatening the public health, environment, and economy for millions of my constituents and people around the country. And let me be clear: California has not and cannot force our emission standards on any other state in the nation.
“It’s not just why Republicans are undermining California’s climate leadership. It’s how they did it. 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 — all to please Donald Trump and the Big Oil lobby. If they can ignore the Parliamentarian here, then why not on an upcoming tax bill, or to gut health care, or to revoke lifesaving vaccine approvals?
“Republicans have crossed the red line and gone nuclear. As the saying goes, ‘what goes around comes around.’ And it won’t be long before Democrats are back in the driver’s seat again. When that happens, all bets will be off. Every agency action that Democrats don’t like — whether it’s a rule or not — will be fair game, from mining permits and fossil fuel projects to foreign affairs and tax policies.
“We will not forget what happened here. History won’t forget. And California will not forget.”
Senator Padilla has been a leading voice in pushing back against Republican attacks on California’s Clean Air Act waivers. Earlier this week, Padilla placed a hold on the four pending Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nominees until Republicans stop their reckless attempts to overturn California’s clean air waivers. Padilla, along with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) also led Democratic Ranking Members in strongly warning Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) 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, Padilla, Whitehouse, and Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) 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 Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) 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.
Throughout the past several weeks, Padilla has made clear that these reckless revocations of California’s clean air waivers will lead to disastrous public health, environmental, and economic impacts for millions of Californians and people across the country. Inaction against the climate crisis costs 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.
Padilla has consistently stressed the extreme consequences of Republicans ignoring the Parliamentarian, effectively blowing up the filibuster. 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 revocation of California’s waivers under a simple majority vote.
Now that they’ve taken the nuclear option, the Trump Administration could make a series of dangerous moves 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. Padilla has warned multiple times that a future Democratic administration could come after Republican oil and gas priorities, including mining permits, fossil fuel projects, foreign policy, tax policies, and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) disruptions.
In case you missed it, Senators Schumer, Whitehouse, Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Schiff, and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) also all came out strongly against Republicans’ reckless effort and warned of the consequences of setting this new precedent.
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