AJC Radio Message: Urge House to Pass Energy Bill
July 31, 2007 - New York -American Jewish Committee Executive Director David A. Harris, in his national radio commentary, urges listeners to contact their representatives to pass an energy bill that increases CAFÉ standards.
"Please tell your respresentative today to stand up for higher CAFE standards," says Harris. "The Senate said yes. So should the House. For the sake of our national security. For the sake of our environment. For our future's sake."
Harris's weekly messages on the CBS radio network air during the Osgood File. All AJC radio commentaries since 2001 are available at www.ajc.org.
The full text of this week's commentary follows:
CAFE.
It's a place for coffee.
It's also an acronym for "Corporate Average Fuel Economy" standards - the miles per gallon vehicles are supposed to get.
The U.S. Senate recently passed an energy bill.
It called for a fleet-wide CAFE average of 35 miles per gallon for all cars and light trucks by the year 2020. That's great news.
We'd save over a million barrels of oil per day, much of it from unfriendly countries.
Greenhouse gases would be reduced big time, meaning a healthier environment.
And consumers, you and me, could save as much as $25 billion per year.
But here's the rub.
In the House, a similar bill is meeting resistance from some members of Congress, who, regrettably, are trying to water it down.
Please tell your respresentative today to stand up for higher CAFE standards. The Senate said yes. So should the House. For the sake of our national security. For the sake of our environment. For our future's sake.
Visit ajc.org.
This is David Harris of the American Jewish Committee.
Ari M. Gordon Assistant Director Department of Interreligious Affairs American Jewish Committee 165 E56th St. New York, NY 10022 (212) 891-6768 (212) 751-4000 x266 www.ajc.org www.engagingamerica.org