Energy Measure Bill Passed by House
On Thursday, a package of new energy measures was passed by the House.
Energy measures that include a 40 percent increase in fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks sold in the United States were passed through the house on Thursday with the House vote being 235 to 181, with 14 Republicans voting for it and 7 Democrats voting against it. According to the New York Times, the centerpiece of the bill is a requirement that passenger vehicles sold in the United States achieve a fleet average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020. This would be the first significant increase in mileage standards since 1975. The bill's supporters claim that it will reduce the nation's dependence on imported oil, jump-start the development of clean-energy technologies, and sharply reduce the nation's production of heat-trapping gases. Democratic representative John Dingell stated, "This bill is not the ultimate answer to our dependence on imported oil, to high energy prices, or to climate change...But it is a major and important step toward these goals, and, for that reason, I will be voting for it."
