House Puts Off Tougher Fuel Economy Rules

House leaders decided Wednesday to put off a potentially divisive fight over auto fuel-economy rules, leaving until September the debate over how high a hurdle they'll set for the embattled domestic carmakers.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said late Wednesday that the House will not consider competing proposals to change Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards when the House takes up a comprehensive energy bill this week. The House is expected to vote on the package this week.

The decision means the Big 3 automakers have dodged, for now, passage of a tough set of CAFE standards proposed by Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., which would have boosted vehicle mileage to 35 miles per gallon by 2019. It has wide support among House Democrats, including Pelosi.

Markey agreed to withdraw his proposal, offered as an amendment to the energy bill, as did Rep. Baron Hill, D-Ind., who had offered a weaker set of mileage standards favored by the auto industry.


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EnnNorak - 8/3/2007 1:53:00 PM

0 Boost

Those are my sentiments also. As far as I am concerned, they should tax gasoline and not vehicles if the goal is to reduce consumption and keep pump prices in check. Having said that, however, I insist that all the extra revenue raised thru a gas tax be earmarked for the sole benefit of motorists, After all, it's the motorist that pays the tax. Billions of dollars are needed to fix crumbling bridges and pot-holed highways which is what the gas tax should fund.

truckmen - 8/2/2007 4:01:20 PM

0 Boost

The tecknology is there! I think it would work better if the gov. gave the auto industry tax incentives to produce efficient suv/trucks.

85bmw745i - 8/3/2007 3:33:25 AM

+3 Boost

What Sucks is that you have to pay a gas guzzler tax for a luxury sedan that gets 24 MPG us gallons but you can get a hummer H2 that gets about 12 and pay no penalty. All vehicles getting crappy gas mileage should be penalized, especially SUV's as they are the bulk of low fuel mileage vehicles, I mean there are far more Escalades and navigators than there are SL600 benzes, or 760li BMW's which get much better gas mileage than any SUV (except the crossovers and cute utes) yet owners have to pay a gas guzzler penalty.