Filed under: MPG, Legislation and Policy
White House: Bush to sign energy bill Wednesday
The Congress finally passed the energy bill today, which includes a 35 miles per gallon CAFE standard and the White House says Bush will sign it Wednesday. Even though Bush threatened to veto the bill several times and he still thinks the CAFE standard could have gone "farther and faster," he's on board now. Go figure. Anyway, here is exactly what press secretary Dana Perino said:
Tomorrow we look forward to, hopefully, passing -- the President signing the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. That bill will be voted on for final passage in the House later today. In January, the President announced his 20-in-10 initiative, a comprehensive plan for a more secure, cleaner energy future, which would reduce our consumption of gasoline by 20 percent over 10 years. He has pushed Congress to pass this legislation all year. And the bill would increase fuel economy and expand the use of renewable fuels; it will save billions of gallons of fuel, expand our energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
While the President's alternative fuel standard and CAFE proposal would have gone farther and faster, we are pleased that Congress has worked together on a bipartisan way that provides the chance for the President to sign a bill that does not include tax increases.
So, tomorrow, AutoblogGreen will probably show you a video of Bush handing out pens and smiling as he signs the first CAFE standard increase in over 30 years into law. I thought they would all be on vacation and the bill would never become law but they actually got something done. I'm little shocked. Can we say greens won this one?
Related:
[Source: White House]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
why not the LS2LS7? 11:57PM (12/18/2007)
The Greens? No, didn't you read the article?
'In January, the President announced his 20-in-10 initiative, a comprehensive plan for a more secure, cleaner energy future, which would reduce our consumption of gasoline by 20 percent over 10 years. He has pushed Congress to pass this legislation all year. And the bill would increase fuel economy and expand the use of renewable fuels; it will save billions of gallons of fuel, expand our energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.'
It's all GWB, baby. He INSISTED upon better fuel efficiency. Why did those dumb bureaucrats even try to stop him?
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Joseph 12:18AM (12/19/2007)
" he still thinks the CAFE standard could have gone "farther and faster," "
Wait...This means Bush wanted CAFE to be even higher than 35?
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why not the LS2LS7? 3:35AM (12/19/2007)
Absolutely Republicans care about the environment. I mean, just in 2003 GWB signed the "Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003".
This is the act that opened more of our national forests to logging. Tripling the amount.
http://www.nativeforest.org/campaigns/wildfire_info_center/bush_6_12_03.htm
Yep. That's how Republicans protect the environment.
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BlackbirdHighway 6:04AM (12/19/2007)
It's a win, but a lot of ground was given up to make it happen.
We'll get more fuel efficient vehicles, something the freepers will be very upset about. But we still have big tax breaks for oil and coal companies, and weak incentives for renewables. Wether people like it or not, we're going to need more nuclear energy too.
There is still much work to do.
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Tony 7:53AM (12/19/2007)
If history is any gauge, this energy bill may simply spell the end to American car companies. Back in the 70's, Detroit claimed they were making the cars that Americans wanted, and steadily lost half their market share. In the 80's and 90's they claimed they were "approaching the quality of the imported cars," and soon Toyota will sell more cars than GM! Early in the 2000's, they said "Hybrids are a passing fad." As a result they have ceded the technology lead to the Japanese (again), who are MUCH more ready to respond to the new MPG demand. It will be interesting to see how Detroit reacts. I hope (for our sake) they wake up and smell the coffee!
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Mort 9:22AM (12/19/2007)
Enact laws that take effect after he leaves. Typical. Seven years of torture, rape, and pillage, and then, at the end of his term, voila! The environmental president! Presto!
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Joseph 2:21PM (12/19/2007)
"It's amazing that nobody believes that Republicans actually do care about the envirionment."
"Absolutely Republicans care about the environment"
Wildgoosechase and LS2/LS7?, I wasn't suggesting that republicans do not care about the environment.
I was asking if Bush really wanted the CAFE to be higher because previously on autobloggreen it has been reported that Bush thought the CAFE standards should be done differently.
It's probably just messed up reporting, no one really knows what the President is thinking. :)
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Dad 9:53PM (12/19/2007)
"Can we say greens won this one?"
You can say whatever you want, it all depends on what you decide is the defintion of "win". As always, Bush makes the decisions and the Dems do what they are told.
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susan.kraemer 11:45PM (12/19/2007)
A very funny diary at dailykos on how we greens might do better on winning the next one: framing.
Save The Reagan Owl
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/12/16/15152/208
Name every intractable environmental problem after a conservative icon: then we'd get Republicans on board: imagine them trying to refuse to
"save the Jesus trees!"
"preserve the George W Bush Memorial Iceberg!"
So my suggestion to how we get back all the goodies that were in the original much greener bill, like the Production Tax Credits and the Renewable Energy Standard, and killed by Bush, is to call that one
"The George W Bush Free Our Wind Act"
Believe it or not the Texas legislature put over on Govenor Bush the best production tax credits laws in the nation, that bring $5000 to $15000 in wind royalties to farmers who host turbines on the farm
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16658695
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Wildgoosechase 1:45AM (12/20/2007)
It's amazing that nobody believes that Republicans actually do care about the envirionment. Consider this, the president that has signed the most environmental bills to date is none other than Richard M Nixon.
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Mack 1:53AM (12/20/2007)
35 is going to be pretty tough. The rest of the world must feel pretty bad for us. How are we going to do this?
We shouldn't set the high mark so high.
Sure in sports Americans thrive to set the high mark.
And usually do.
But come on. This is the Auto industry where we are usually last. And there is no real drive to do a whole lot better. 35 mpg from a gallon of gas after one hundred years of internal combustion.
I wonder what the first ICE's got? Better?
I know what an Austin America got as well as a CRX and a Metro. But 35?
An uphill struggle.
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susan.kraemer 12:07PM (12/20/2007)
wildgoose,
you need to let your Republican Senator and Rep in congress know that you care. Only 13% believe climate change is happening, compared to 95% of the Democrats. Thats because we Democrats prune ours when they go wrong on this: Landrieu now faces a primary challenge.
I agree, it did not used to be like this, but the current crop needs to be replaced with ones with some forsight.
39 out of the 49 Republicans in the Senate voted against this, till we put back the oil company taxbreaks they need so bad (just till they get on their feet, right) and took out all the renewables that this would have funded.
So, tell them to change.
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