“Today the Senate thankfully reached agreement on a way forward with the energy bill we have pushed for all year, and which includes a 10 mpg improvement in the fuel efficiency standards of automobiles that I have sought for seven long years. Every time my amendment was considered on the House floor, the margin blocking this reform got smaller and, with the House and Senate turning Democratic last fall, I believed that this would be the year where a majority of my colleagues finally realized that this was a national security imperative. Nevertheless, this has been a struggle, and I am thrilled that we have been able to preserve a strong fuel economy bill that finally begin reducing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

“While the Senate was not able to reach agreement on important provisions like a renewable electricity standard and a repeal of billions of dollars in giveaways to the richest oil companies, the bill we will vote on next week makes great strides in our national goal to reduce oil dependence and our planetary goal of fighting global warming.

“This bill will save more than twice the amount of oil we currently import from the Persian Gulf, and reduce by nearly a quarter the projected global warming emissions cuts needed to avert the worst effects of global warming, both by 2030.

“With such strong support for the 35 mile per gallon standard I have worked so hard to achieve for the American people, I urge the President to drop his veto threats and pledge to sign this bi-partisan, effective legislation after it passes the House next week.”