WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, today welcomed President Bush’s reiteration of his “twenty in ten” plan, which includes a goal of increasing fuel economy standards by 4 percent a year for ten years, but warned that such a goal will never be achieved unless this requirement is made mandatory via legislation.

“Goals are great in soccer and hockey, but when it comes to cutting our oil dependence and addressing global warming, it can’t be fun and games anymore for this administration,” said Chairman Markey. “In effect, the president asked his agency heads to share ideas and come up with a plan that is due three weeks before he leaves office. Our oil dependence is too high, and the threat of global warming is too great, to allow half-measures and delay to take the place of action any longer.”

The President has asked his Cabinet to use its existing authority under the Clean Air Act in order to reform and set a goal for increasing fuel economy standards for cars by 4 percent a year for 10 years – authority the Bush administration has repeatedly asserted it did not have. The proposal also anticipates increased use of “alternative” fuels, which could include large amount of liquid coal transportation fuels. Even if the development and use of liquid coal fuels is mated with carbon sequestration technology that stores heat-trapping pollution underground, the fuel will be a step backward in the effort to cut global warming pollution.

“After six years of hemming and hawing on setting fuel economy standards, the President has suddenly discovered the regulatory powers he has had all along. The goal of a 4 percent annual increase is a good one, but so far the President has been unwilling to incorporate this goal into his actual legislative proposals. Furthermore, only asking for agency heads to take the first steps towards new rules will leave motor vehicle fuel economy stuck in neutral until Bush’s successor takes office,” Chairman Markey added.

Chairman Markey has introduced a bi-partisan bill with Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA) that, instead of simply establishing a fuel economy goal, would actually require fuel economy standards increase by 4 percent per year for 10 years, reaching 35 miles per gallon (mpg) fleet-wide average by 2018. After 2018, the Department of Transportation must continue the 4 percent annual increase in standards unless it is technologically or economically infeasible. By 2022, the fleetwide fuel economy would be 40 mpg, and we would save the same amount of oil that America currently imports from the Persian Gulf. The bill, H.R. 1506, has 126 cosponsors.

America’s oil dependence is at an all-time high. After Congress mandated a doubling of fuel economy standards from 13.5 to 27.5 miles per gallon in response to the oil embargo in 1975, U.S. dependence on foreign oil went from 46.5 percent in 1977 to 27 percent in 1985. U.S. oil dependence is now back up to 60 percent - and climbing. Fuel economy standards for cars have not been increased in 20 years, and the fuel economy of the American fleet is currently lower than it was in 1987.

Today’s announcement by the President follows the landmark Supreme Court case, Massachusetts v. EPA, which ordered the Bush administration to reassess its regulatory authority to cut global warming emissions from vehicles, as well as recent international science reports that have reaffirmed the scientific consensus on warming and the need for action. Meanwhile, the Bush Administration reportedly agreed to work on global warming during the recent U.S.-E.U. summit, but reports have surfaced that the U.S. delegation to the G8 has been attempting to alter the global warming language in the international body’s climate statement. The G8 will next meet in June.