Political Quotes

“In effect, this bill would outlaw a number of engine lines and car models, including most full-size sedans and station wagons. It would restrict the industry to producing subcompact sized cars, or even smaller ones. That was a statement by the duly authorized representative of the Ford Motor Company in 1974 in the hearings on the bill that allowed for the first corporate average fuel economy standards to take place. Now the Ford Motor Company, of course, was far more resourceful in its technology than it was in its language. And when these requirements were imposed, the Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Chrysler, and the rest of the manufacturers met them, and they met them gratefully to the advantage of the people of the United States, who ended up with far cleaner air. It is impossible to imagine what our air would be like today if we were all driving 1974 model automobiles--saving billions of dollars in fuel costs, saving the economy of the United States all of the costs of that extra fuel, all of which would have ended up coming from overseas, given our dependence on foreign oil at the time.”