Senate overrules parliamentarian and votes to undo California EV rule

From the article:

The Senate has overruled the guidance of the parliamentarian, a nonpartisan staffer who interprets the Senate's rules, and voted 51 to 44 to overturn a waiver allowing California to set its own air pollution standards for cars that are stricter than national regulations. The Senate has only overruled its parliamentarian a handful of times in the 90-year history of the role.

The Senate has not yet voted on related resolutions to revoke two more waivers related to heavy-duty trucks. One allows California to mandate zero-emission trucks, and the other permits stricter emissions standards for new diesel trucks.

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The GAO's opinion is merely advisory. The parliamentarian's guidance is also non-binding, but the Senate has traditionally followed it. While disregarding this advice is not unprecedented, it's extremely rare. Historically, leaders of both parties have feared that if they act unilaterally to change the Senate's norms, the other party will do the same when they're in power. That's exactly what happened in 2013 and 2017, when first Democrats and then Republicans deployed the "nuclear option" to eliminate the filibuster for judicial nominees.

"Today it's all about California emission waivers. But tomorrow, the CRA could now be used to erase any policy from an agency that the Trump administration doesn't like at a simple majority threshold," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday evening as he tried unsuccessfully to derail the vote. He argued that the CRA could subsequently be used to repeal any policies the White House — including future administrations — doesn't support, including waivers related to Medicaid or reproductive health care. "Republicans should tread carefully today," he said. "What goes around comes around."