Constitution Index · H.J.Res. 89 · 2025-04-02

Providing congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "California State Motor Vehicle and Engine and Nonroad Engine Pollution Control Standards; The 'Omnibus' Low NOX Regulation; Waiver of Preemption; Notice of Decision".

Latest official status (2025-06-12): Became Public Law No: 119-17.

Official source ↗

Constitutional grade

B

Mostly sound

Congress used lawful Commerce Clause and review authority to nullify an EPA waiver, with no Bill of Rights, sovereignty, or due process harm. The sole constitutional tension is decentralization: it blocks a state-level pollution program in favor of uniform federal preemption, contrary to Tenth Amendment preference for state handling where feasible. Fixable and minor, supporting grade B.

Amendment X Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 Amendment I Amendment IV Amendment V Amendment IX Article I, Section 7

SI-generated grade · passed automated checks (real Constitution citation, language rules) · not individually reviewed by a person · methodology · Report an error: hello@valuesforamerica.com

The five checks

Enumerated powers · passes

Congress acts under Article I, Section 8, Clause 3, the Commerce Clause, which supports Clean Air Act regulation of interstate vehicle and engine markets, and under Article I, Section 8, Clause 18, the Necessary and Proper Clause, as executed through the Congressional Review Act at 5 U.S.C. chapter 8. Disapproval of an executive agency waiver is a legislative check on delegated authority, not an assertion of new unenumerated power.

Bill of Rights · passes

The resolution restricts no speech, religion, press, assembly under the First Amendment, imposes no search under the Fourth Amendment, and takes no property or liberty under the Fifth Amendment. It removes a regulatory waiver rather than creating a new prohibition on persons, so no provision of the first ten amendments is infringed.

Individual liberty · passes

The resolution lessens federal permission for stricter state mandates on manufacturers and buyers of heavy-duty vehicles and off-road diesel equipment. It does not limit personal belief, speech, labor, worship, or ownership, and imposes no new mandate on individuals. To the extent it affects conduct, it removes a regulatory burden with no compelling-justification problem under the Ninth Amendment and the liberty protected by the Fifth Amendment.

Decentralization · raises concerns · severity: minor

Vehicle emissions cross state lines and involve interstate commerce, so individual, family, or county control is not sufficient. California has shown a state can set and enforce its own standards, so state handling is feasible under the Tenth Amendment. By nullifying the waiver and restoring uniform federal preemption, the measure consolidates decision-making upward from the state to the federal level rather than using the minimum level necessary. That is one to two failed questions, a minor to significant decentralization cost.

Due process and takings · passes

The measure follows lawful legislative process under Article I, Section 7, with bicameral passage and presentment, resulting in Public Law 119-17. It gives public notice, applies prospectively to model-year standards, and seizes no property or fine without hearing. No taking under the Fifth Amendment Takings Clause and no denial of procedural or substantive due process occurs.

Provenance

Grade ID
202
Rubric version
vfa-constitutional-grade/1.0
Graded
2026-10-08 10:45 UTC
Engine
primary SI engine
Source fetched
2026-10-08 09:43 UTC
Source SHA-256
f3b5ed085c26c7f7560caca31f7d49dc7c12ed38baf67c745dde0deb73682dd2
Checks
si-editorial-standard/1.0: real Constitution citation, language rules

Version history · never overwritten

GradeGradedRubric Source hashStatus
B · #202 2026-10-08 vfa-constitutional-grade/1.0 f3b5ed085c26 current

Cite this

Values for America. “Constitutional grade: H.J.Res. 89, Providing congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "California State Motor Vehicle and Engine and Nonroad Engine Pollution Control Standards; The 'Omnibus' Low NOX Regulation; Waiver of Preemption; Notice of Decision"..” VFA Constitution Index, grade 202 (rubric vfa-constitutional-grade/1.0), graded October 8, 2026. https://www.valuesforamerica.com/constitution-index/grades/202. Accessed 2026-10-19.

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