[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 60 (Monday, April 16, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S4507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DORGAN (for himself and Mr. Craig):
  S. 1118. A bill to improve the energy security of the United States 
by raising average fuel economy standards, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, today I am pleased to be joined by Senator 
Craig to introduce legislation called the Fuel Efficiency Act of 2007. 
This legislation is an important component of broader legislation that 
my colleague and I recently introduced on March 14, 2007. That 
legislation is a balanced plan with the overall goal to improve the 
energy security of the U.S. through a 50 percent reduction in the oil 
intensity of the economy by 2030.
  This is important to me because the United States remains dangerously 
dependent on foreign sources of oil. Today we import over 60 percent of 
our oil from Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Venezuela, and other 
unstable nations of the world. This is very troubling to me.
  Our larger proposal is grounded in four cornerstone principles. The 
first principle is achievable, stepped increases in fuel efficiency of 
the transportation fleet. The second principle promotes increased 
availability of alternative fuel sources and infrastructure. The third 
principle calls for expanded production and enhanced exploration of 
domestic and other secure oil and natural gas resources. Finally, the 
fourth principle improves the management of alliances to better secure 
global energy supplies.
  In the United States, we use about 67 percent of our oil to power our 
vehicles. This is the area where we are least secure and increasingly 
dependent. For these reasons and more, we introduced S. 875 as a bi-
partisan, balanced approach to securing our future energy through 
reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
  I am also a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation 
Committee which has jurisdiction over the fuel economy standards of our 
Nation's vehicle fleet. I look forward to working with Chairman Inouye, 
Ranking Member Stevens, and other members of the committee who are 
interested in enacting strong, fair, and forwarding-looking fuel 
economy standards.
  It should be noted that this is the first time that both Senator 
Craig and I have publicly stated our support for increased fuel economy 
standards beyond the incremental steps that the current administration 
has made to date. Our Nation's fuel economy standards have not 
significantly changed since the mid-1980s. We now have lower passenger 
vehicle fuel efficiency standards than Japan, the European Union, 
Australia, Canada, and yes, even China.
  The bill we have introduced today reforms and strengthens fuel 
efficiency standards by establishing an annual 4 percent increase in 
the fuel economy of the entire new vehicle fleet, including 
automobiles, medium trucks, and heavy trucks from 2012-2030. The 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will have discretion to 
invoke ``off-ramps'' if it is determined that the increase is not 
technologically achievable, creates material safety concerns, or is not 
cost effective.
  Senator Craig and I came together to develop a new pathway forward 
because we believe that bolder energy security measures must be taken 
now to address our long-term security, economic growth and 
environmental protection. There is no silver bullet to solving our 
energy dependence. Digging and drilling is a strategy I call yesterday 
forever. Conservation alone is not the answer. Renewable fuels hold 
promise, but we need to do much more here. We believe the combination 
of steps sets the right pathway to U.S. energy security, and we look 
forward to moving increased fuel economy standards through the Senate 
Commerce Committee.

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