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Reps. Schakowsky, Tonko Critical of Trump Administration Plan to Weaken Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Standards

March 15, 2017

WASHINGTONU.S.Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Paul Tonko (D-NY) harshly criticized the Trump Administration today after learning that the President will reopen a review of vehicle fuel economy standards, a first step toward weakening the popular environmental protection benchmark.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky: “Fuel efficiency standards were born out of the energy crisis in the 1970s. We now face a larger crisis – the threat of global climate change. Strong standards push the auto industry toward greater efficiency and innovation, and the Trump Administration is making a grave mistake in lowering our fuel efficiency goals. This move will cost consumers, damage public health, and weaken our response to climate change.”

Rep. Schakowsky serves as Ranking Member on the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection, which oversees the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the agency responsible for Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards.

Rep. Paul Tonko: “The Trump Administration’s plan to roll back fuel efficiency standards puts corporate and special interests ahead of the needs of America’s families and our environment. These proven standards will save consumers an estimated $1.7 trillion at the pump from vehicles produced between 2011 and 2025 and help U.S. automakers continue to develop cutting edge technologies. Instead of saving drivers money and making real progress in reducing carbon pollution, this move will cause pain at the pump and abandon America’s global leadership on climate change. I strongly oppose this rollback of common sense and achievable environmental and consumer protections.”

Rep. Tonko serves as Ranking Member on the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, which has jurisdiction over Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implementation of the Clean Air Act.

According to a recent report by Consumers Union, when compared to a typical vehicle on the road today, a new car buyer in 2025 will save about $3,200-$5,700 over the lifetime of their car using existing standards.The current standards are expected to reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 6 billion metric tons for vehicles within model years 2012 through 2025. More than 400,000 people submitted comments in favor of keeping the standards during the previous EPA review.

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