Washington – Colorado U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar is facing pressure from environmentalists to support higher fuel-economy standards for cars and trucks, a key piece of an energy bill being debated in the Senate.
Salazar, a Democrat who normally has the support of environmental groups, is one of a few senators still on the fence about the controversial new standards.
The bill is expected to face a tough challenge in the next several days, and advocates say Salazar’s vote will be pivotal.
“I’m very much leaning toward supporting it,” Salazar said Tuesday, adding that he still has concerns about its effect on heavy farm vehicles.
But Salazar has not endorsed a provision passed by the Commerce Committee, which would raise Corporate Average Fuel Economy – or CAFE – standards for cars and trucks to 35 mpg by 2020, about 10 mpg over current levels.
Backers consider CAFE a vital part of a larger energy bill focused on reducing oil dependency and greenhouse-gas emissions.
Western senators are leading the debate on the bill this week.
New Mexico’s Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici – the Democratic chairman and leading Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, respectively – are among the senators who have already endorsed the provisions.
