FUEL EFFICIENCY STANDARDS UNDER DEBATE—Texas Rep. Joe Barton, seen here on C-SPAN, introduced a Bush-administration backed energy bill. Amendments were proposed to include increasing fuel efficiency standards in the measure.

Feeling the heat of high gas prices this election season, Congress appears closer to raising the fuel economy standard than ever before. Due to the automakers’ powerful lobby, Congress has not raised the fuel economy standard, often called CAFE (for corporate average fuel economy), in more than 10 years, but that could change.

TexPIRG is working to capitalize on growing momentum due to upcoming elections, and finally make cars go farther on a gallon of gas. Not only would it save money at the pump due to less fuel consumption, fuel prices will drop due to a decrease in demand.

Reps. Ed Markey (Mass.) and Sherwood Boehlert (N.Y.) have introduced an amendment to a Bush administration-backed bill, introduced by Rep. Barton (TX). Their amendment would increase the gas mileage standard to at least 33 miles per gallon.

“We know that 33 miles per gallon is just a first step toward where we need to be, but it’s a big first step—enough to cut our demand for oil by 1.4 million barrels a day,” said TexPIRG Federal Consumer Advocate Ed Mierzwinski.

Experts at the National Academy of Sciences say that a gas mileage standard of even 40 miles per gallon is feasible. TexPIRG backs the 40 miles per gallon standard, but acknowledges that the most important step is the first step.