Thank you Mr. Chairman for having this hearing today, I think it is important and I look forward to hearing our colleagues so I will be very short. 

 

The issue of fuel economy of our cars and light trucks is significant as our country faces an increasing energy crisis.  I think since September 11^th, the need for us to reduce our dependence on foreign oil increases.  I’m not going to talk about ANWR today so you can forget about that, for a while that is. 

 

As the Chairman said, I introduced legislation in January to address conservation and reduction in green house gas emissions.  As the impacts of global change are more evident in Alaska than anywhere in the country, this bill would provide authority to the Department of Transportation to reform the passenger car fleet fuel economy program and set an aggressive target for the passenger car fleet by 2017.

 

Since then I have worked, with the Chairman and the staff, to try and develop an approach that would not only answer our national security interest in reducing our dependence on foreign oil sources, but also an approach that will avoid unintended consequences that would adversely affect the domestic auto industry and consumer choice.  It’s my hope that I will be able to join the Chairman in introducing this bill. I still am worried about how to deal with light trucks; these are extremely important to the West and particularly important to my state, so I want to continue to work with my good friend on that portion of the bill.  But I do hope today’s hearing will help in advancing the Committees progress.