Senate Gives Auto Industry Free Ride on Fuel Economy
Consumers and Environment Pay the Price

Statement of Kate Abend, U.S. PIRG Global Warming Associate

The Senate has rejected the only guaranteed oil-saving provision in its energy bill today by passing the do-nothing Levin -Bond amendment. The National Academy of Sciences has demonstrated that automakers have the technology to meet a 37-mpg fuel economy standard phased in over ten to fifteen years. Unfortunately, millions of dollars in campaign contributions put automakers in the driver's seat on this fuel economy vote.

The Levin-Bond amendment compromises public safety by striking vehicle safety standards from the energy bill and eliminates oil savings by punting responsibility for raising fuel economy standards to the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Levin-Bond amendment is a good deal for General Motors and a bad deal for the general public.

NHTSA's poor track record and ties to the auto industry make significant action on fuel economy doubtful. In the last decade, NHTSA increased fuel economy standards for light trucks by a meager 0.5 mpg and never acted to increase the standards for cars. The Levin-Bond amendment makes future action even less likely by weakening the underlying law that gives NHTSA the authority to set fuel economy standards.

America deserves a safe, clean, affordable energy future. Unfortunately, the Senate is leading us in the wrong direction by giving the auto industry a free ride on fuel economy. With a national spotlight on the need to improve our energy security, it is unacceptable for the Senate to reject fuel economy standards that would guarantee oil savings.

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U.S. PIRG is the national lobbying office for the State Public Interest Research Groups. State PIRGs are non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy groups. More information about the state PIRGs Campaign for A New Energy Future can be found at http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id2=5750.