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From Capitol Hill, Bid to Force Automakers to Boost by 50 Percent Fuel Efficiency of Cars and SUVs

Aired March 13, 2002 - 13:19   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: From Capitol Hill today, a bid to force automakers to boost by 50 percent the fuel efficiency of cars and SUVs hit the legislative equivalent of a brick wall today.

Jonathan Karl telling us a bit more about what that wall entails.

Jonathan, good afternoon.

JONATHAN KARL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill.

Well, this was a central provision in the Democratic energy bill. It would require cars and SUVs to get an average of 36 miles per gallon by the year 2015, something Democrats thought as a top priority, but Republicans and joined by many Democrats, thought this was something that would force people to buy less safe, smaller automobiles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MS), MINORITY LEADER: Let's talk about what real people do when they have a choice. And after all, this is still America, you know we should be able to make our choice. We shouldn't have the federal government saying you are going to drive the purple people eater here.

I'm not picking on this manufacturer, in fact purposefully, I wanted to have a car that is hard to identify what it is. This is basically in Europe. And what I was over there, I saw these little cars. I saw people pick them up and sit them over in the parking space.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARL: Republicans raised the possibility that you would all be driving cars like that, that you would have to give up your SUVs. Democrats say automobile manufacturers would be able to make more fuel efficient SUVs. This would be good for the environment, and this would also decrease U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. THOMAS DASCHLE (D-SD), MAJORITY LEADER: We have a missed opportunity in our inability to pass meaningful CAFE standards, and it's unfortunate. I saw a poll just yesterday that indicated that 80 percent of the American people believe the standards ought to be higher; 9 percent do not. This is clear as clear can be the American people support demanding the auto industry do more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARL: And there's more. The Senate is now debating another measure to the energy bill that would exempt pickup trucks from any increase in the future to fuel efficiency standards. It is not all over yet, Bill. There is a movement to compromise to increase standards a little bit less, a move led by John Kerry, possible presidential candidate, and also by John McCain, a Republican in favor of these higher standards -- Bill.

HEMMER: If nothing else, a funny line by Trent Lott anyway on the Florida Senate. Not a lot of humor there usually.

Jonathan, thanks. Jonathan Karl there on Capitol Hill.

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