Political Quotes

“And I might also say the National Environmental Trust says that by 2020, nearly 15,000 more U.S. autoworkers would have jobs because of a higher fuel efficiency standard, a 14-percent increase in average annual growth in U.S. auto industry employment, an auto industry that is declining in terms of the people who are working there. In terms of the savings, the Senator from Missouri was troubled by the notion that American consumers would spend $3.6 billion for this new technology in these more fuel-efficient vehicles. What the Senator does not acknowledge is that by making that investment of $3.6 billion, under my amendment the savings in fuel to consumers will be over $110 billion; $3.6 billion in new cars and trucks, $110 billion of savings to consumers. So would you get rid of an old gas guzzler to have a more fuel- efficient engine if it meant a trip to the gasoline station did not require taking out a loan at a local bank? Of course you would. That is only smart and only sensible. Let me also say on the issue of safety, if you see the memo on safety on the vehicles involved, we know that we have the potential here of building vehicles that are safer and fuel efficient. We have statistics that relate to cars and trucks sold, but, in fairness, these are statistics in a period from 1994 and 1997. I will assume SUVs are a lot safer today.…”