William Bryan: “Fuel economy affects Americans in a very practical way. We have seen in recent weeks the escalating prices of gasoline…”

“Fuel economy affects Americans in a very practical way. We have seen in recent weeks the escalating prices of gasoline, prices that have caused Americans who come to the gas station real sticker shock. These are some of the numbers we have seen: $1.54 a gallon on the east coast; in my own part of the country, $1.59. Those numbers appear to be going up. The effect of this is to require American families who are dependent upon automobiles for transportation--that is most of the people who live in a western State, such as my own in Nevada --to have less spendable income for other family needs and requirements. If it is possible to reduce the amount of money they spend by increasing fuel economy--that is, getting more miles to the gallon--it makes sense for every family, not only in my own State, but across the Nation. We are proposing lifting the gag rule, to strip the blindfold off, to unplug our ears, and simply allow the Department of Transportation to examine the technology of the past 25 years--because it has been 25 years since we have applied new fuel economy standards in America--and see if we can't get better fuel economy and still leave a full range of vehicle choice to American consumers. I find it hard to believe that is not a win-win for everyone. It is a win for the consumer.”