Mikulski supports CAFE standards
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Originally posted at:
http://mikulski.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=277468



Mikulski: Nation Needs Stricter Fuel Efficiency Standards

To watch a video of Senator Mikulski speaking on the floor, go to: http://www.mikulski.senate.gov/Videos/cafe.ram.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the floor of the Senate today, Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) said the nation needs stricter fuel efficiency standards for automobiles in order to address the global warming crisis, America’s reliance on foreign oil and skyrocketing gas prices. The Senate is debating comprehensive energy legislation (H.R. 6), which includes language to require all cars and light trucks up to 10,000 pounds to have Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standards of 35 miles per gallon by 2020, and to increase the fuel efficiency by 4 percent every year after until 2030.

“I am a blue collar Senator. My heart and soul lies with blue collar America, so when automobile manufacturers told me they couldn’t meet the increased CAFE standards, I voted against the increase. But 20 years have gone by since the last increase in fuel efficiency standards,” said Senator Mikulski. “It’s time for our auto industry to make the changes they need to survive and that our planet needs to survive. We need a sensible energy plan that starts with conservation, that offers incentives for new renewable energy and that increases fuel efficiency standards.”

Senator Mikulski’s statement as delivered is below:

“Today, the Senate is trying to come up with an energy bill, and I know that Senators have been working very hard on all sides of the aisle to come up with consensus legislation that we can support. I really do support them. I want to particularly call to the attention of the Senate, the efforts of Senators Pryor, Levin and Stabenow to try to come up with a compromise on CAFE.

“But Mr. President, we are now where we are, and we are in a very important juncture in our history. Mr. President, you know me. I’m a blue collar Senator. My heart and soul lies with the blue collar American. I spent most of my life in a blue collar neighborhood. When Bethlehem Steel went on strike, my father gave those workers credit. When UAW [United Auto Workers] went on strike, my father and mother tried to smooth the way by helping them in the grocery store.

“My career and my public service is one of deep commitment to the working people. So when automobile manufacturers told me they couldn’t meet the increased CAFE standards, I listened, and I listened year after year. And now, I've listened for more than 20 years. When they told me they needed more time, I agreed. When they told me that an increase in CAFE standards was unattainable with existing technology, I voted against the increase to give more time so that we could come up with attainable and existing technology. But 20 years have gone by since the last increase in fuel efficiency standards. I was here when we voted for those CAFE standards. And now, after 20 years, I firmly do believe it is time for a change. Not any kind of change, Mr. President – a smart change, a feasible change, an affordable change. That’s why I support the energy bill that is before us. And I support the framework that’s been generally presented by Senator Feinstein of California.

“I know that American automobile manufacturers and their workers are true patriots. They want what is the best for our nation. They’ve faced challenges before and they have met them. And I believe that they will face these challenges now. I believe they know and want to build vehicles that are safer and more energy-efficient. The time has now come to increase fuel efficiency standards. We need a national effort, because they need to be able to help their own industry survive, and also because it is in the best interest of the nation.

“I believe that our world and our nation is facing a crisis. When you look at the increased price of gas at the pump, it’s hurting every single person. Talk to the family who it now costs $90 to fill up a minivan or a commuter, who has no other way to get to work than an automobile, who is now paying more to get to work than they are for their food bill. Like you, Mr. President, we know that small businesses need those vans to make those deliveries – whether they own a flower shop, whether they are a heating and air conditioning guy, whether it’s the plumber or the person delivering medicine to nursing homes. In my own state right now there are watermen, the fisherman out on the Chesapeake Bay, trying to harvest ever-diminishing crabs with ever-increasing fuel prices.

“Mr. President, it is time to conserve our energy resources and to deal with the crisis that we are facing. We know that energy and gasoline and petroleum products are in limited supply and are going up. We know that America’s dependence on foreign oil presents a very serious national security challenge. I’m on the Intelligence Committee and I know what these trans-national threats are. I know that energy independence is absolutely crucial to fighting the global war against terrorism.

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“At the same time, we know there is a dangerous increase in the climate crisis that affects the life on our planet. It, too, is a national security issue because, make no mistake, the climate crisis will affect our food supply, will create a climate in which infectious disease will grow and natural disasters will increase. Now what can we do about it? How can we sign up to have a safer America, a safer planet? Well, I believe that the most sensible foundation of an energy plan must begin with conservation. We’ve got to make better use of what we’ve got in our homes, in our businesses, in our cars and in our airplanes. We also need incentives for new renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies that we use in our homes and our businesses. We need an increase in fuel efficiency standards for our vehicles on the road and our vehicles in the air.

“Now, I come back to fuel efficiency standards, known as CAFE. My heart and soul lies with the American worker. So I believe that anything that we do must preserve American jobs. But it also must achieve real savings in oil consumption. It also has to be realizable and achievable. That means a real technological ability to accomplish it. That means a reasonable lead time to adjust a company’s production. And I also believe we have to create incentives to enable companies to achieve those goals. I don’t believe in an industrial policy where we pick winners and losers – but if we’re going to pick a winning energy policy, we have to provide some type of help to the industry to help them get where we need for them to go.

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“The time has come to raise the CAFE standards. But the time has come, also, to put our thinking caps on, to be an innovation society, and to come up with new ideas for efficiency, new technologies for energy efficiency, and new composite materials to make cars lighter, but keep them safe."...