[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16716]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                         IMPROVING FUEL ECONOMY

  Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I am here to cheer the announcement by the 
Ford Motor Company that it will voluntarily improve the fuel economy of 
its fleet of sport utility vehicles by 25 percent over a period of 5 
years. At a time when gas prices are skyrocketing and sales of SUVs are 
increasing, this announcement couldn't come at a better time. Ford's 
decision to make SUVs more fuel efficient is welcome news. I have long 
said that the industry has existing technology to allow cars to go 
farther on a gallon of gas and to save consumers money at the gas pump. 
Ford has set an example that other auto manufacturers should follow 
immediately. I am anxiously awaiting a response from the remaining two 
of the big three and hope they will join Ford in its pursuit of 
cleaner, more efficient vehicles.
  I hope the manufacturers, now having pledged to improve fuel 
efficiency, will join me in my efforts to study an increase in 
corporate average fuel economy standards. As my colleagues know, I have 
long been an advocate of raising CAFE standards and scored a 
breakthrough victory earlier this year that paves the way for the 
Department of Transportation and the National Academy of Sciences, once 
again, to study fuel efficiency standards and their relationship to 
such issues as vehicle safety and to recommend the findings to Congress 
by July 1, 2001. I look forward to working with the automotive industry 
to ensure that this study is fair and balanced.
  Many constituents and colleagues are surprised to learn of my 
advocacy for CAFE standards. My motivation is a simple one and is based 
on the success of the original CAFE standards statutes. I have never 
been swayed by doomsday predictions from automakers that claim they 
would be forced to manufacture a fleet of subcompact cars if we allowed 
the Department of Transportation to study and impose an increase in 
CAFE standards. We have come a long way from absolute opposition to a 
study of the issue to today's major announcement by the Ford Motor 
Company that will be of tremendous benefit to consumers who want 
cleaner, more efficient SUVs. This announcement reaffirms my faith in 
the ability of American automobile manufacturers to produce fuel-
efficient vehicles that are the envy of the world. The debate over 
raising CAFE standards has come a long way, and I look forward to 
continuing this debate when Congress returns from its August recess.

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