Dealer in Congress wants new way to look at CAFE standards

Dealer in Congress wants new way to look at CAFE standards

The House of Representatives passed an energy bill last week with an amendment that would require the Department of Transportation to calculate the effect of the new CAFE standards on jobs and safety.

The amendment, which wont be voted on by the Senate until after the election, was introduced by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), a car dealer. It passed the House by a vote of 242 to 158 and would mandate that DOT figure the total number of jobs that will be lost due to decreased demand; the number of additional fatalities and injuries that will be caused by the rule; and the additional cost to the economy of the redundant regulation of fuel economy by the Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies for model years 2011 through 2025, according to Kellys office.

The Obama administration has acknowledged that the new rules will add $1,836 to the price of a new vehicle by 2025. But NHTSA estimates that drivers will save $1.7 trillion at the pump from fuel efficiency standards covering 2012 to 2025.