WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Chairman of the newly-created Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, today received the support of former Vice President Al Gore in his testimony before a joint Subcommittee hearing of the Energy and Commerce and Science and Technology Committees for Rep. Markey’s plan to raise CAFE standards.  During his opening statement, Vice President Gore said, “I believe that we should raise CAFE standards,” and expressed explicit support for Rep. Markey’s plan to do so.  Later in the hearing, Vice President Gore said to Rep. Markey, “I support your legislation, Congressman."

Rep. Markey said, “I am very pleased to hear former Vice President Gore, who has been one of the most important leaders on global warming, and who deserves enormous credit for his tireless efforts to raise the profile of this critical issue, express support for my plan to raise auto mileage standards.  This country will not be able to break its dependence on foreign oil or reduce our global warming pollution sufficiently unless the U.S. auto fleet dramatically improves its fuel efficiency.”
 
Rep Markey introduced bipartisan legislation to dramatically raise CAFE standards, H.R. 1506, with Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA), leading a group of 21 Democratic and 19 Republican House Members. Rep. Markey’s bill would raise the fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks to 35 miles per gallon by 2018 and 4% a year thereafter if it is technologically and economically feasible to do so.