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Gavin Newsom Has a Mission Before Trump Takes Office

“We’re gonna move aggressively to be proactive and not reactive to the incoming Trump administration,” Newsom said Wednesday, after meeting with California Democrats in the Capitol.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom greets people.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom greets people in Hooksett, NH. Steven Senne/AP

California Gov. Gavin Newsom had a simple message for congressional Democrats from his state on Wednesday: We need to make the most of the time we have left before Donald Trump takes office.

Trump heads back to the White House in 68 days, and Democrats will control the Senate for about 50 more days. Newsom emphasized that time is of the essence for securing waivers on certain standards so that California can continue setting higher environmental guidelines on issues like water and air.

During an hour-long meeting with California Democrats on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Newsom told the California delegation that he planned to pressure President Joe Biden to approve certain federal waiver extensions in his remaining time as president, reasoning that it’d be harder for Trump to remove the state’s standards if they were already in place.