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

The Senate has voted to block California’s first-in-the nation rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.

The Senate’s decision to block California’s gas vehicle ban is about more than cars. It picks away at the state’s power to set its own bold environmental standards, which often trickle down to other parts of the country.