T. Gorton: “In one minor respect, the senior Senator from Michigan is in error. My own handwritten first draft said ``proposed.'' I…”

“In one minor respect, the senior Senator from Michigan is in error. My own handwritten first draft said ``proposed.'' I simply acceded to the recommendation of the Senator from Michigan that we use the word ``recommend.'' Clearly, what we are speaking about is the promulgation of a rule, and nothing can be promulgated by the Department of Transportation without approval of a joint resolution of Congress. So whether it recommends or proposes, they are going to have to come here before any rule takes place. In connection with my earlier answer, all of these bars are off in a year. We will be right back here next year, I hope maybe not debating the same issue. I hope we may have been able to reach a conclusion on it. Finally, the point of all these words, what we are now doing is instructing our conferees to a conference with the House of Representatives, and it is the words and the requirement that come out of that conference committee, of course, that will govern actual future action. My intention as a member of that conference committee, and perhaps the only one in this colloquy who is a member of that conference committee, will be to see to it that we have a very thorough study of this subject. I hope, like my colleagues from Michigan, that it will recommend stronger corporate average fuel economy standards, but I am willing to listen to the experts in that connection.”