12-13-07 by dugan
Act today to save California’s and other states’ tough clean air laws! Call Senate Leader Harry Reid, (202) 224-3542 or e-mail him via his online form here.
Tell Sen. Reid not to cave into White House demands that would prevent states, including California, from passing their own auto clean air standards. If the energy bill is further weakened, such laws could be capped at the federal auto standard, probably for decades. California’s greenhouse emission bill would be all but kaput, and other states would have their hands tied. Tell Reid to leave states’ ability to clean their own air alone.
The right of the states to toughen emission standards is nearly the last issue on the table before a Senate vote today on a stripped-down energy bill. Veto threats and Big Oil lobbying have gotten rid of just about everything except increased federal auto mileage standards.
There’s no more renewable power requirement for utilitiies. Big Oil gets to keep its tens of billions of dollars in federal tax breaks. The federal mileage standard increase, ultimately to 35 miles per gallon, is modestly good. But not if the price includes trashing California’s landmark emissions bill, which 14 other states now support.
From the Dow Jones story linked above:
"In another statement on Thursday, the Office of Management and Budget said it still wanted clarification on regulation of the new fuel efficiency standards and objected to the renewable fuel standard focusing on biofuels.
"The OMB said the bill should clarify that the Department of Transportation ‘should establish this single national regulatory standard, in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency, and that neither agency should add additional layers of regulation.’ "
That’s Beltway-speak for stripping the states of their ability to be any more strict than the federal emission or mileage standards. It’s not clear whether President Bush would actually try to veto the bill over this issue, but Reid can’t cave in to this game of chicken.