Jan 24 – President Donald Trump’ administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to put on hold planned arguments in a bid by fuel producers to challenge California’s standards for vehicle emissions and electric cars under a federal air pollution law.

The new Republican administration also made similar requests in three other cases involving the actions of federal agencies, giving an early indication that it will take a fresh look at a number of legal issues before the court and potentially change positions from Trump’s Democratic predecessor Joe Biden. The expected changes in the government’s position may be a closer ideological fit for the Supreme Court’s 6-3 conservative majority, which includes three justices appointed by Trump.

The dispute over California vehicle standards centers on an exception granted to that state in 2022 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during Biden’s presidency to national vehicle emission standards set by the agency under the landmark Clean Air Act anti-pollution law.

Though states and municipalities are generally preempted from enacting their own limits, Congress let the EPA waive the preemption rule to allow California to set certain regulations that are stricter than federal standards.