NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Dingell Clarification on Comments at Auto Show

The following statement by Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, is meant to clarify comments he made yesterday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. His comments have been inaccurately characterized by some reporters who did not hear his remarks:

"I have stated on numerous occasions over the past year that the problem of global warming requires an economy-wide solution. For the past 30 years, the automobile industry has been the only industry with a carbon constraint. The energy legislation we passed last month further tightens the cap on automobiles by 40 percent by 2020. My position today remains the same as it was yesterday and the same as it was the day before that: before further reductions are imposed on automotive manufacturers, other industries that have contributed to the problem of global warming will have to make comparable contributions. I do not intend to “exempt” the auto industry from the cap-and-trade bill I'm working on. It's important that CAFE be consistent with that program, and that it includes all sectors: utilities, industrials, fuels, other transportation applications, agriculture, and more."

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