Head of Jewish organization supports House passage of fuel economy standards

David Harris, executive director for the American Jewish Committee, in his national radio commentary urges listeners to contact their representatives to pass an energy bill that increases CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards.

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 the commentary follows:

"CAFE. It's a place for coffee. It's also seems to set standards on the miles per gallon vehicles are supposed to get.

The U.S. Senate recently passed an energy bill. It called for a fleetwide CAFE average of 35 mpg 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 representative 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."

This was provided by Worldwide Faith News.