California Rep. Darrell Issa is intensifying his probe into the California Air Resources Board and the role it played in negotiations that led to tough new federal fuel economy standards.
Dissatisfied with information provided so far by the state agency, Issa, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, is readying a second round of questions for the board’s chairman, Mary Nichols.
At issue is whether state officials were improperly involved in talks that yielded new standards requiring the nation’s fleet of cars and light-duty trucks to achieve 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 and 54.4 by 2025. The latter number is roughly twice today’s 27.3 standard.
Issa, R-CA, has raised concerns that the rules will cost the auto industry billions of dollars, limit the choices consumers have and make cars less safe, since raising a car’s gas mileage often means using lighter, less crash-resistant materials.
The congressman has focused his scrutiny on a series of what he says were secretive meetings — involving automakers, the Obama administration and the Air Resources Board — that spawned the new standards outside of both public view and the traditional rulemaking process.
“The American people want more reliable cars, safer cars and fuel-efficient cars and we have a system that is supposed to guarantee all three,” Issa said in a recent interview. “We want to know — was the regulatory process properly covered? Where were the pinch points?”
One of those pinch points, he suggests, was California’s unique leverage in the negotiations. A special federal waiver allows California to regulate greenhouse gas emissions in the state. While that authority does not extend to national fuel economy standards, the two are….
Read more from Ben Goad at PE.com.
No related posts.
lets get the SOB on this.
The question really is WHY are we beholden to foreign oil? We have MORE than enough here in America to support our needs for many centuries.
The question should be why has Obammy STOPPED the drilling of oil, the mining of coal and many other means on which America can be self-sufficient? By the first of 2012, wait till you see all the black outs from the loss of electric when they're forced to close down all the electrical plants.
I say let California keep it's ridiculous fuel economy cars. They will be running out of transportation and be forced to stay there. (or move to the rest of the REASONABLE country) Keep normal cars and trucks for the rests of us. (where IS that earthquake that drops Cali in the ocean when you need it?)
It also makes me wonder. Can I sue the EPA for forcing a lighter, less crash resistant car/truck on me when I'm seriously injured in a crash?
No thanks. I think I'll keep my older, stronger pick up truck till it finally dies and can't be repaired.
California is a waste of time and energy. Let Hollywood take care of it, they have enough money to do so. As for the rest of us, we need to get serious and start doing something to make this “administration” hear us. This dimwitted, flap eared peice of crap in office is not worth the time of day, he is refusing to allow Canada to send us oil, the pipeline from Canada would be far cheaper and better for America and her neighbors to use, rather than buying it from the sand fleas and camel humpers, who are price gouging us like there is no tomorrow. Why is he insisting on this buying from our ENEMIES, when a much friendlier nation who sits right next to us wants to sell us oil for a lot less? Because he is a Brother Enemy, a Brother Muslime and a Brother in all things ANTI America and ANTI AMERICAN!!!!! Someone had better crank up a fire under congresses collective asses and make them listen to sense! Maybe if their asses get a little hot, they will listen to us for once. Probably not, but it might be worth a try, Lord knows nothing else is working, certianly not them!
Daryl Issa's awesome!!!!