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.

Tax credits for the parents of young children. A state-funded scientific research institute. Exempting service workers’ tips from state income tax. Those are among the hundreds of proposals California lawmakers swiftly rejected Friday under the banner of cost savings,

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 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party lines, Republicans affirmed their ability to repeal the waivers, clearing the way for the first of three to be withdrawn on Thursday morning.