May 24, 1999

Dear Mr. President:

We are writing to urge you to work with Congress to implement the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) law. The program is critical to reducing US dependence on foreign oil, cutting air and carbon dioxide pollution, and saving consumers money at the gas pump. We want to work with you to ensure that the American people can benefit from improved CAFE standards.

Since 1995, the CAFE-freeze rider has been inserted in the House version of the Transportation Appropriations bills and the Senate has agreed to this language in conference. he rider prohibits the Department of Transportation from examining the need to raise CAFE standards. Current CAFE standards have stagnated for nearly a decade. While the standard for cars is set at 27.5 miles per gallon, the standard for heavily polluting sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and other light trucks lags behind at 20.7 miles per gallon.

Because of the increasing number of light trucks, the average fuel economy of all new passenger vehicles is now at its lowest point since 1980, while fuel consumption is at its highest. The freeze rider denies the purchasers of SUVs and other light trucks the benefits of existing fuel saving technologies.

The current standards save more than three million barrels of oil per day, and save the owner of an average new car $3,000 at the gas pump. However, we still use about 17 million barrels a day, contributing about $50 billion to our merchandise trade deficit. Improved standards will reduce oil consumption, benefitting the economy and our nation's energy security.

Higher standards also will translate into additional dollar savings for consumers. A substantial increase in CAFE standards would result in a net increase of 244,000 jobs nationwide, with 47,000 in the auto industry, according to a study by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.

Finally, improved standards will reduce pollution, including cancer-causing hydrocarbons. America's cars and light trucks are responsible for 20 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide pollution, which causes global warming.

Compared to an average 27.5 mile per gallon car, whose tailpipe emits 38 tons of carbon dioxide over its lifetime, a 14 mile per gallon sport utility vehicle will emit 70 tons of carbon dioxide. Now that sport utility vehicles command such a huge market share and contribute a disproportionate amount of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere, we could dramatically reduce these emissions by raising CAFE standards.

Again, we urge you to work with Congress to ensure that the American people can benefit from improved CAFE standards.

Sincerely,

Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)	Slade Gorton (R-WA)
Richard Bryan (D-NV)	Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Jack Reed (D-RI)	Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Joseph Lieberman (D-CT)	Robert Torricelli (D-NJ)
Patty Murray (D-WA)	Fritz Hollings (D-SC)
John Kerry (D-MA)	Chris Dodd (D-CT)
Daniel Moynihan (D-NY)	Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Tom Harkin (D-IA)	Max Cleland (D-GA)
Gordon Smith (R-OR)	Charles Schumer (D-NY)
Jim Jeffords (R-VT)	Paul Wellstone (D-MN)
John Edwards (D-NC)	Bob Graham (D-FL)
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)	Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
Daniel Akaka (D-HI)	Harry Reid (D-NV)
Russ Feingold (D-WI)	John Chafee (R-RI)
Daniel Inouye (D-HI)	Chuck Robb (D-VA)
Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)

Hmmmm . . . do consumers really need new CAFE standards from the government to tell us what types of cars and trucks we should buy? Or are we smart enough to make our own vehicle choices? Now that you've read the letter, you can analyze the arguments more closely . . . just click on the button.

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This page last updated: 6/7/99