| Page 2 of 2 < |
Democrats Push Coal-to-Liquids Energy Plan
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
Much of the maneuvering on the bill was taking place away from the Senate floor.
Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) is working on an amendment that would blunt the impact of a proposal that would effectively raise average motor vehicle fuel efficiency to 35 miles per gallon by 2020.
Levin has proposed softer requirements on light trucks, which include sport-utility vehicles, minivans and most pickup trucks, than rules already endorsed by the Senate Commerce Committee. The proposal would also give automakers more time to meet new standards and give the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration more authority to set new rules.
The proposal could contain a provision that would free automakers from the new rules if they promised to put more fuel-efficient vehicles on the road.
Other Democrats said they would stick with the tougher standards. Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.) said that he thought there were enough votes to defeat a move to weaken the fuel-efficiency provisions. On the Senate floor, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said the Senate had "bent over backwards" to accommodate the automobile industry. She said the standards were reasonable and achievable with current technology.
Separately, environmental groups said they were pleased with revisions to the Senate measure, made last Friday, that removed provisions that would have prevented the Environmental Protection Agency from allowing California to set its own standards for carbon dioxide emissions from automobile tailpipes.
Staff writer Sholnn Freeman contributed to this report.
