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CONTACTS:
JO-ANNE PROKOPOWICZ (202) 637-3093
MARK WHITENTON (202) 637-3157

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 18, 2000 – The National Association of Manufacturers today, in a letter to the full House of Representatives, urged support for continuing the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) freeze when the Department of Transportation Appropriations for FY 2001 comes before the full House for a vote. The vote against lifting the CAFE restrictions will be considered for designation as a Key Manufacturing Vote in the NAM voting record for the 106^th Congress.

"The CAFE approach has never been a sound public policy mechanism. Raising CAFE standards would exacerbate the flaw inherent in the CAFE approach – ‘forcing’ companies to make changes in their products that consumers may not value," noted Michael Baroody, NAM’s senior vice president for policy, communications and public affairs. "The NAM has consistently opposed arbitrary government restrictions on individual choice, particularly those that fail even a rudimentary cost-benefit test. CAFE is an arbitrary approach that has not been successful in its primary objectives – reducing oil imports and gasoline consumption – but that has adversely affected American jobs and highway safety.

"More importantly, there is a better way than CAFE to improve vehicle and fleet-fuel economy levels. Auto manufacturers worldwide are engaged in a competitive race to develop advanced technologies capable of dramatically increasing fuel economy. The Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles is one example of how this work is being coordinated," concluded Baroody.