EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Vince Fong Cheers Plan To Stop California From Forcing EV Mandates On Rest Of The Country

Republican California Rep. Vince Fong is praising efforts that House Republicans are taking to prevent his “energy incompetent” home state from dictating its de facto electric vehicle (EV) mandate on the rest of the country.

House Republicans are slated to repeal three Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) waivers issued during the final weeks of former President Joe Biden’s term that would allow other states to adopt California’s strict emission standards on gas-powered vehicles. Fong is warning that House Republicans must rescind these waivers, citing California as a “cautionary tale” for states who pursue climate-related policies at the expense of grid reliability and low energy prices. (RELATED: Supreme Court Case Could Spell The End For California’s EV Mandate)

“One state shouldn’t have the power to set vehicle policy for the entire country,” Fong, who is cosponsoring the resolutions to overturn the waivers, told the Daily Caller News Foundation in an interview Tuesday. “We need consistent federal rules to reduce confusion, lower costs and ensure fairness.”

“California hasn’t made the right decisions in building out electricity infrastructure,” Fong continued. “So why would we model national energy policy after a state that is completely energy incompetent?”

The state’s “Advanced Clean Cars II” regulations would over the next ten years gradually ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in California. They would also enforce that all new vehicles, including trucks sold in the state, be zero-emission by 2035. The rules are poised to come into effect in model year 2026 in the Golden State and the 17 other states and Washington D.C. that are all intending to implement all or part of the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) vehicle standards.

GOP lawmakers and industry groups have slammed the Biden-era EPA waivers for effectively allowing California to set a de facto national EV mandate and raise transportation costs on millions of Americans beyond the state’s borders.

“This is not the United States of California,” American Trucking Association Chris Spear wrote in a statement in February. “California should never be given the keys to set national policy and regulate America’s supply chain.”

Fong agreed that Congress must halt other states from adopting California’s EV rules, arguing that the rest of the country should not follow Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom’s left-wing energy agenda.”

“We have to undo all these mandates because if we don’t, not only will Californians continue to bear the financial burden, but all Americans,” Fong told the DCNF. “We’re sending a clear message to California that these waivers are repealed, there’s no reason to pursue moving forward.”

Fong said that he hears from constituents every day railing against California’s climate policies that have contributed in part to the cost-of-living crisis in the Golden State.

The current average per-gallon gas price at the pump that Californians pay is $4.78, which is the highest price out of all 50 states, according to AAA data. By comparison, the national average currently sits at about $3.18 per-gallon.

“The affordability crisis is very real, especially in California,” Fong told the DCNF. “California is clearly the example of what not to do … when it comes to electric vehicle mandates.”

Valero Energy Corporation announced the company will close its refinery in northern California by the end of 2026, which represents nearly 10% of the state’s crude oil processing capacity. Energy company Phillips 66 said last October it will shutter its refinery near Los Angeles by December 2025.

“Look at the energy policy implications where California has inserted itself into the energy market,” Fong said. “Now we have refineries closing where it’s threatening our fuel supply.”

“We’re looking at 20% of our state’s refining capacity disappearing,” Fong continued. “This is not a market failure. This is a man-made crisis because of Gavin Newsom’s policies.”

Republicans will need simple majority votes in both chambers to send the repeal of the Biden EPA waivers to President Donald Trump’s desk for signature.

Fong told the DCNF that he is optimistic his Republican Senate colleagues will also rescind the vehicle emission rules before the Congressional Review Act deadline expires. GOP senators have introduced resolutions to repeal the rules, but Senate GOP leadership has thus far not moved to give the waivers floor consideration.

“Clearly, the President and his cabinet has asked for these CRAs to be put in motion,” Fong told the DCNF. “This is a national effort to bring some common sense to our energy policy … and let’s protect our supply chain to ensure that we don’t have price spikes or inflation due to the fact that liberals want to cripple the trucking and rail industry.”

Spokespersons for CARB and Newsom did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].