A federal court invalidated a Biden administration regulation on Wednesday requiring states and cities to set climate targets for transportation.
Judge James Hendrix, a former President Trump appointee, concurred with the Republican-led states that filed a lawsuit against the regulation, arguing that the Biden administration did not have the power to enforce the targets.
Hendrix contended that the administration lacked legal authorization to incorporate environmental standards into the evaluation of highway “performance” by states.
He stated that the law related to the “performance of the Interstate/National Highway Systems” pertains to “the infrastructure’s effectiveness in facilitating travel, commerce, and national defense—not the environmental impacts of vehicles using the systems.”
The regulation, issued by the Federal Highway Administration, mandated that state and local transit authorities establish targets for reducing emissions that contribute to global warming and provide progress reports. It also created a national framework for assessing and reporting transportation-related emissions.
A spokesperson for the highway administration, which is under the Transportation Department, stated that the agency was evaluating the ruling and determining its next steps. The spokesperson emphasized the administration’s dedication to addressing climate change.
Meanwhile, congressional Republicans praised the court’s decision.
“This was a clear instance of blatant overreach by the Biden Administration from the beginning, and we praise the Court for its decision,” Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) stated in a joint declaration.
They characterized the regulation as an “unlawful attempt to bypass Congress and impose this one-size-fits-all obligation on every state and community across the country.”
