California Assembly Republican Caucus
SACRAMENTO — Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (East Nicolaus) issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted to block California’s ban on gas-powered vehicles:
“The Senate just staged an intervention. Let’s be honest, California needed it,” said Gallagher.
“Newsom’s gas car ban was never about the planet. It was about control. You like your car? Too bad. Can’t afford a new one? Sucks for you. Grid overloaded? Not his problem. This wasn’t climate policy. It was punishment for not living like an activist. The rest of the country finally said no thanks. California doesn’t get to hijack the car market with one guy’s ego trip.”
“Assembly Republicans will keep dragging this lunacy into the sunlight. The freedom to choose what you drive shouldn’t depend on Gavin’s ambitions,” concluded Gallagher.
The Senate voted 51 to 44 to reject California’s ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles starting in 2035. Governor Gavin Newsom championed the policy, and the Biden administration granted California a federal waiver to enforce it. The Senate also voted to block the state’s mandate requiring the sale of zero-emission trucks.
Gallagher, who leads Republican opposition in the Legislature, said the vote sends a clear message to a state government that has prioritized political optics over practical reality.
He has led efforts to stop Newsom’s energy agenda, warning it would raise costs, strain the power grid, and punish working Californians under the guise of climate action.
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