Congressman Peter Welch has gathered support from 49 colleagues to oppose a proposal that would prohibit Vermont and other states from adopting stricter auto emissions standards.
Welch wants to make sure that a federal pre-emption on auto emissions is not part of energy legislation that Congress is expected to take up in July.
In a letter to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce chairman the lawmakers say they are concerned that the legislation would take away the states authority to regulate auto emissions.
Vermont and 10 other states have adopted California’s stricter emissions standards, which are yet to go into effect.
The auto industry went to court over the emissions standards in Vermont in a 16-day trial that ended last month and is awaiting a ruling from a federal judge.