CONTACT:

MARC MORANO 202-224-5762
marc_morano@epw.senate.gov
MATT DEMPSEY 202-224-9797
 
 
INHOFE STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE ORDER ON CAFE AND ALTERNATIVE FUELS
 

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Environment & Public Works Committee, today commented on President Bush’s Executive Order to begin the process of implementing new CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards and increasing the use of alternative fuels in response to the recent Supreme Court decision.

"This action taken today by President Bush is premature. As I made clear during an April 24th EPW hearing on the Supreme Court’s Massachusetts v. EPA case, the next step is for the EPA to make an endangerment determination, not rush to regulate. The Administration is putting the cart before the horse and should have waited for the EPA’s findings before deciding if any action was even necessary," Senator Inhofe said.
 

"I have additional concerns about the regulation’s effect on livestock. Recently the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) opposed all new mandates on corn based ethanol. The NCBA said increasing feed-grains based ethanol mandates could deliver ‘a serious blow to cattle producers.’ The agricultural community is already suffering the unintended consequences of federal policies.

"We should be aware of how environmental regulations influence our fuel choices. Regulations that have promoted natural gas as the environmentally preferable fuel source have increased the price of natural gas, hurt domestic agriculture, sent chemical and manufacturing jobs overseas and practically killed our domestic fertilizer production," Senator Inhofe added.

Bob Drake, the vice president of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau testified at a March 25, 2004 EPW hearing about the devastating impact of high natural gas prices on the agricultural community.

"Our domestic fertilizer production capacity has already experienced a permanent loss of 25 percent over the past four years and an additional 20 percent is currently shutdown due to high natural gas prices. The current price volatility threatens the existence of what remains of our domestic fertilizer industry and will exacerbate America’s dependence on foreign sources of energy and fertilizer," Drake testified. ( Link )

Senator Inhofe concluded: "New mandates and regulations do not happen in a vacuum. I look forward to the Administration’s public comment period for implementing the rules and encourage affected industries and the public at large to weigh in on these new proposals."

On April 19th, Senator Inhofe introduced President Bush’s "Alternative Fuel Standard Act of 2007." The President’s proposal seeks to replace the current Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) by requiring 10 billion gallons of alternative fuel to be used in 2010 and increasing to 35 billion gallons by 2018.  The bill similarly builds upon the current RFS by requiring Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to incorporate the newer qualifying fuels into the credit trading system. ( Link )
 
Related Links: 
 
INHOFE INTRODUCES PRESIDENT BUSH’S "ALTERNATIVE FUEL STANDARD ACT OF 2007" – April 19, 2007
 
EPW HEARING HIGHLIGHTS: NATURAL GAS – March 25, 2004
 
 
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