Driving America's Future Chairman Comments of Fuel Economy Bill Signed into Law by President
December 19, 2007

WASHINGTON Driving America's Future (DAF) Chairman Rodney E. Slater made the following statement on the Energy Independence and Security Act which President George W. Bush signed into law today following passage by the House of Representatives on Tuesday. The bill increases Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to 35 mpg by 2020 and includes flexible-fuel credits, a key anti-backsliding provision critical to the domestic auto industry, and maintains the important separation regarding car and truck regulation.

"A lot of hard work went into the legislative process that produced a bold and balanced energy bill for the president to sign that will reduce emissions without weakening our domestic automakers and the millions of jobs the industry supports directly and indirectly," said DAF Chairman Rodney E. Slater. "The separation of cars and light trucks, the anti-backsliding provision and the flexible-fuel credits it includes will give the industry flexibility to continue its development of alternative technologies.

"The auto industry will work to meet the new challenges the energy bill contains and continue to focus on the future of the automobile with advanced fuels and alternative technologies. In order for this bill to fully deliver on its promises, we will need a cooperative effort to ensure the market tools and critical infrastructures are in place to support the auto industry's technical progress to meet these new goals."

Driving America's Future (www.drivingamericasfuture.org) is a coalition of industry and consumers promoting the future of alternative fuels to reduce gasoline consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The coalition is committed to educating others about this important policy issue based on its founding principle that innovation and technology is the right path to a clean energy future.

Rodney E. Slater served as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President Bill Clinton. Before serving as secretary, Slater held the distinguished role of becoming the first African American Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration.