U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, recently chastised the Trump Administration for suspending a portion of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015.
The Administration suspended penalties for auto companies that violate fuel economy standards, a move Pallone called disappointing.
“The law is quite clear, the Budget Act of 2015 directed all federal agencies to inflation-adjust all civil penalties by July 1, 2016,” Pallone said. “NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) already delayed the imposition of the new fees until the 2019 model years to allow the auto companies time to adjust their vehicle fleets to avoid paying penalties. This attempt to revisit the CAFE penalty fees makes no sense. Unless Congress repeals the mandate in the 2015 Budget Act, or the Trump Administration intends to violate the law, the higher fees must remain in place.”
In the Senate, several Democrats and two Republicans have spoken out about fuel-standard changes.
In March, President Donald Trump said he would reconsider Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas standards for vehicle model years 2022 to 2025. Members of the administration have said a decision will be made by April 2018.
Auto manufacturers are split on their support of the fuel standards established in 2015.