Legislative Update Senators Reintroduce Initiative to Reduce Gasoline Consumption by Half a Trillion Gallons: Legislation Would Increase Fuel Economy Standards for First Time in over 20 Years Senator Lugar joined Senators Barack Obama (D-IL), Joseph Biden (D-DE), Gordon Smith (R-OR), Arlen Specter (R-PA), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), and Norm Coleman (R-MN) in reintroducing legislation that would reduce U.S. gasoline consumption by nearly half a trillion gallons by 2028 and greatly decrease our dependence on foreign oil. “Energy is fundamentally reshaping the power balance in the world, largely to the detriment of the United States. The hundreds of billions of dollars spent on oil imports each year weakens the U.S. economy, enriches hostile regimes and is used by some to support terrorism. It is incomprehensible that fuel economy has been stagnant when the costs of oil dependence are so high. The 110th Congress must reform fuel economy standards as part of a comprehensive energy strategy that is in the interest of U.S. national security,” said Senator Lugar, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. America spends $800 million a day, or $300 billion annually, on its 20-million-barrel-a-day oil habit. Passenger vehicles alone burn 8 million gallons of oil each day. Because we import 60 percent of our oil, much of it from the Middle-East, our dependence on oil is also a national security issue. As oil prices have exceeded $70 a barrel in recent years and with total U.S. petroleum use estimated to increase 23 percent over the next 20 years, we must act now to prevent a future energy crisis. But while it’s clear that increasing fuel economy standards is a crucial part of any effort to reduce our consumption of foreign oil, efforts to raise them have been stalled for 20 years. The Fuel Economy Reform Act of 2007 seeks to break the decades-long logjam on increasing fuel economy standards by taking a new, more flexible approach. The bill charges the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) to create regular annual increases in fuel economy with a target of 4 percent - - roughly one mile per gallon - - each year. The experts at NHTSA will base these standards on attributes of a vehicle such as size and weight, and will be able to revise the annual increase if they conclude that the target cannot be reached with current technology or without compromising the safety of the entire fleet, or is not cost-effective when compared to the economic and geopolitical value of a gallon of gasoline saved. The Fuel Economy Reform Act reflects the recommended approach of the Energy Security Leadership Council’s 2006 report on how to secure America’s energy future. Continue reading full press release Lugar Introduces Bill to Establish Post-Conflict Response Corps Senator Lugar recently introduced the “Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2007.” The bill authorizes the creation of a federal response capability to address post-conflict situations with active and standby components as well as a civilian reserve, a concept first introduced by Senator Lugar and Sens. Joe Biden and Chuck Hagel in 2004 and recently endorsed by President Bush in his State of the Union Address. Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) is introducing companion legislation in the House of Representatives. “International crises are inevitable, and in most cases, U.S. national security interests will be threatened by sustained instability. The war on terrorism necessitates that we not leave nations crumbling and ungoverned. We have already seen how terrorists can exploit nations afflicted by lawlessness and desperate circumstances. They seek out such places to establish training camps, recruit new members, and tap into a global black market in weapons,” said Lugar. “In this international atmosphere, the United States must have the right structures, personnel, and resources in place when an emergency occurs. A delay in our response of a few weeks, or even days, can mean the difference between success and failure.” Lugar’s bill would give statutory status to the State Department’s Office of the Coordinator of Reconstruction and Stabilization. It authorizes $80 million for the operations of the new office and the training, equipment and travel of a 250-person active duty component made up of employees from the State Department and United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Senator Lugar’s bill also calls for a 2,000 person standby component drawn from State, USAID and other federal agencies. It also authorizes the creation of a civilian reserve that would draw highly skilled personnel from the American general workforce. The bill requires that at least 500 volunteers be recruited, trained and available to serve within a year of the bill’s passage in this new civilian reserve. The bill also authorizes expenditures for a $75 million crisis response fund, one-third of which can be used if necessary for the organization, training and emergency deployment of the response corps. A previous version of Senator Lugar’s bill passed the Senate unanimously last June, while the Executive Branch first moved to implement elements in July 2004 by creating a new Office of Stabilization and Reconstruction headed by a Coordinator reporting directly to the Secretary of State. Under Senator Lugar's chairmanship in 2003, the Foreign Relations Committee organized a Policy Advisory Group of government officials and outside experts to provide Senators with advice on how to strengthen the ability to plan and implement post-conflict missions. After much study, it was clear a well-organized and strongly led civilian partner was needed to work with the military in complex emergencies. The Committee judged that the State Department was best positioned to lead this effort.
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