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United States
House of Representatives
Washington, DC
20515
Re: Support
the Motion to Strike the CAFE-Freeze Rider From the FY
2001 Transportation Appropriations
Bill
Dear Representative,
The
League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is the nonpartisan,
political voice of the national environmental community.
Each year, LCV publishes the National Environmental
Scorecard, which details the voting records of Members
of Congress on environmental legislation. The Scorecard
is distributed to LCV members, concerned voters
nationwide, and the press.
When the House
considers the FY 2001 Transportation Appropriations
bill, the League of Conservation urges you to support a
motion to strike an anti-environment rider in the bill
that prohibits the use of appropriated funds to
"prepare, propose, or promulgate" new fuel economy
standards.
This provision will prevent the
Transportation Department from implementing the
Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards law, one
of the most effective energy savings measures Congress
has ever adopted. Cars and light trucks alone consume
40% of the oil used in the US. The fuel economy standard
for passenger cars is 27.5 mpg; the standard for light
trucks is only 20.7 mpg. The standard for light trucks,
which now comprise nearly 50% of the new passenger
vehicle market, has virtually stagnated for 19 years;
the car standard has not changed in 14 years. The
current CAFE standards save more than 3 million barrels
of oil every day. They reduce pollution by eliminating
500,000 tons per year of carcinogenic emissions and by
keeping millions of tons of carbon dioxide, a global
warming gas, out of the atmosphere.
The law
requires the Department of Transportation to consider
technical feasibility, economic practicability, the
effect of other Federal motor vehicle standards on fuel
economy, and the need to conserve energy in raising the
CAFE standards. A rulemaking process considering these
factors will provide ample opportunity for the auto
industry to protect their interests. By preventing the
Department from even studying whether to raise the CAFE
standards, the rider denies Americans substantial oil
and consumer savings, as well as pollution reductions,
that can be realized with existing fuel saving
technologies.
As the Senate considers the FY
2001 Transportation Appropriations bill, the League of
Conservation Voters urges you to support the motion to
strike the CAFE-freeze rider in this first anti-rider
vote of 2000.
LCV's Political Advisory Committee
will consider including votes on this issue in compiling
LCV's 2000 Scorecard. If you need more information,
please call Betsy Loyless in my office at 202/785-8683.
Sincerely,
Deb Callahan
President
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