The Democratic California government is preparing to sue the federal government after the Senate voted to nix its electric vehicle mandate.
On Thursday, the Republican Senate voted to roll back several key Biden-era waivers that allowed the state to set its own emissions standards, CNN reported. The vote undid a last-minute approval by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for California to phase out gas-powered vehicles by 2035.
“This Senate vote is illegal. Republicans went around their own parliamentarian to defy decades of precedent. We won’t stand by as Trump Republicans make America smoggy again — undoing work that goes back to the days of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan — all while ceding our economic future to China. We’re going to fight this unconstitutional attack on California in court,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a press release.
“With these votes, Senate Republicans are bending the knee to President Trump once again,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said. “The weaponization of the Congressional Review Act to attack California’s waivers is just another part of the continuous, partisan campaign against California’s efforts to protect the public and the planet from harmful pollution. As we have said before, this reckless misuse of the Congressional Review Act is unlawful, and California will not stand idly by. We need to hold the line on strong emissions standards and keep the waivers in place, and we will sue to defend California’s waivers.”
“If this gambit works, it will not be the last time this tactic is used,” California Sen. Adam Schiff said as he accused Republicans of blowing “a hole in the filibuster for the oil industry.”
Senate Minority Leader and New York Senator Charles Schumer was furious with the Republicans for circumventing the filibuster.
“It’s going nuclear, plain and simple. It’s overruling the parliamentarian. And second, what goes around comes around,” the senator said to reporters.
And New Mexico Democrat Sen. Martin Heinrich echoed the words of the Senate Minority Leader.
“If Senate Republicans force a vote on the California Clean Air Act Waivers, they set a precedent that will allow Congress to overturn nearly any agency decision nationwide,” he said before the vote. “I urge my colleagues to reject this gross overreach.”
“By opening this door, Republicans threaten to destroy our permitting and regulatory system, leading to higher energy costs for Americans and making it impossible for new developments to come online. Indeed, nearly every major and minor project the federal government touches could be stalled, creating significant uncertainty if not complete chaos. That is not what the American people want, and it cannot be what Senate Republicans want, either,” he said.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced a new Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for the upcoming year, designed to help recipients manage rising inflation and increased living costs. Millions of Americans, particularly seniors, are set to benefit from this adjustment.
This year’s COLA represents a 3.2% increase, which is lower than last year’s historic 8.7% rise. Over 70 million beneficiaries, including retirees, disabled individuals, and others who rely on Social Security, will experience changes in their monthly payments starting in
Based on current estimates, here’s what you can expect from Social Security benefits by 2025:
The COLA is designed to help Social Security beneficiaries keep up with inflation. Rising living costs, especially for essentials like food, healthcare, and housing, disproportionately affect those on fixed incomes. While this year’s increase provides some relief, many argue it may not fully offset actual expenses, particularly for medical care.
For more details on the Social Security COLA and how it impacts you, visit the official SSA website or check trusted resources like