(Los Angeles) California and 16 other US states continued the Trump administration on Wednesday, accusing it of illegally blocking five billion dollars intended for the construction of recharging stations for electric vehicles.
Posted at 8:05 p.m.
Since February, the American Department of Transport has suspended the program intended to finance these infrastructure, voted in 2022 by the Congress within the framework of an emblematic law of the mandate of Joe Biden.
A decision deemed illegal by this group of democratic states, which notably has new York, Colorado and Hawaii.
“The president is continuing his unconstitutional attempts aimed at retaining funds that Congress has allocated to programs he does not appreciate,” said California prosecutor Rob Bonta in a statement announcing the procedure. “This time, he illegally deprives the recharging infrastructure program for electric vehicles of billions of dollars, all to fill the pockets of his friends with large oil companies. »»
Donald Trump, who has several times qualified the climate change as “hoax”, campaigned on his desire to drill oil at all costs, and is a notorious critic of electric vehicles. Since his return to power, he has abandoned the objective set by his predecessor, Joe Biden, to sell 50 % of electric cars in the United States by 2030.
His proximity to Elon Musk, boss of Tesla who largely financed her latest campaign, however led him to promote the cars of her ally during an event organized in March in front of the White House.
-“Instead of selling Tesla on the lawn of the White House, President Trump could help Elon-and the nation-respecting the law and unlocking these funds supported by elected officials from both parties,” said the governor of California, Gavin Newsom on Wednesday.
According to the complaint, filed before a Federal Court of the State of Washington, the American executive does not have the power to divert funds allocated by the legislators of the Congress.
States ask the justice system “to permanently prevent the administration from retaining funds”.
California, which is piloting this procedure, is a pioneer in environmental regulations in the United States.
The state, which has the largest number of electric cars in the country, wishes to prohibit the sale of new petrol cars from 2035.
The “Golden State” has benefited for more than half a century from a device that allows it to set strict standards than federal legislation, in terms of air quality and vehicle emissions.
This exception is currently called into question by the Republicans, who are trying to legislate at Congress to get rid of it.
