The Republican-led Senate moved Wednesday to overturn key Biden-era waivers allowing California to set its own vehicle emissions, a major blow to that state’s effort to regulate pollution from cars and trucks that could have broad environmental impacts for the rest of the country.

California’s authority to set environmental rules that are tougher than national standards had never been challenged by Congress. Until now.

California is preparing to sue the federal government to recover its right to set vehicle emissions standards, Rob Bonta, the state’s attorney general, told TechCrunch in a statement.

Oregon has joined 11 other states to continue the transition to electric cars and trucks, a day after the U.S. Senate revoked a waiver that allows California to set stronger emission rules that Oregon also relies on for its policies.

Senate Republicans have voted to establish a new precedent that will allow them to roll back clean air standards in California, including a rule phasing out the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.

Senate Republicans could vote this week to take away California's ability to impose tough limits on car emissions — a move Democrats call unprecedented.

In a 51-46 vote that fell along party lines, Republicans affirmed their ability to repeal the waivers, clearing the way for the first of three to be withdrawn on Thursday morning.