Earl Blumenauer: “There is no longer a rational reason for us to distinguish between SUVs and light trucks and other vehicles. They are…”

“There is no longer a rational reason for us to distinguish between SUVs and light trucks and other vehicles. They are mostly used as passenger cars in the first place. The base bill simply does not provide enough conservation: approximately 6 days of oil consumption over the next 9 years. There is a big difference between the average car and a 13-mile-per-gallon SUV. It is the equivalent of leaving a refrigerator door open for 6 years for the average year. I would suggest that the opponents of this amendment are selling American industry short. There is no reason the American auto industry cannot keep pace with foreign competition. We should not drive Americans into their hands.”