Monday, the Senate Commerce Committee sent a vehicle fuel economy reform bill to the floor. The bill would do some good by providing more information on fuel efficiency to car buyers and increasing funding for our national fuel economy program — the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, the bill would also mark a shift in the legislative view of vehicle fuel economy — from protecting the environment and strengthening national security to making economic factors a paramount consideration.

Congressional Quarterly (subscription) is reporting the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will move forward with an ambitious proposal to improve vehicle fuel economy. The legislation, scheduled for mark-up next week, would reform the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard by increasing to 35 from 27.5 the miles per gallon ratio for all passenger vehicles.

Not to be outdone by Alberto Gonzales, Stephen Johnson appeared before the Senate yesterday and achieved new levels of obstinacy. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee questioned Johnson, the administrator of EPA, about the Supreme Court's recent ruling affirming the agency can regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act. The legislation instructs EPA to regulate harmful air pollutants.