"Some people have tried to cast this argument as a choice between trucks and fuel economy standards. Those people are wrong," said Senator Collins. "CAFE standards will give us better trucks and more money in our pockets. America's can-do attitude and technological know-how will give us safer, more powerful cars and trucks that go further on a gallon of gas – and save consumers money at the gas pump."
Speaking on the Senate floor, Senator Collins made the argument that OPEC's anti-competitive manipulations have driven the price of oil to a six-month high. "If we don't increase CAFE standards, America will grow more and more dependent on foreign oil – and the price of gas will rise accordingly. We are already nearly 60% reliant on foreign oil. How far into OPEC's clutches do we have to let ourselves slide before we decide there is another way? CAFE is the American way of telling OPEC to take a hike."
The proposal supported by Senator Collins is estimated to save more than a million barrels of oil per day, billions of dollars, and do more to reduce America's reliance on foreign oil than any other measure.
"This proposal is the right thing to do for the environment, for the economy, for consumers, and for America," the Senator said.
The proposal was strongly opposed by Senators from automobile manufacturing states, including Democratic Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. The two spoke at length on the Senate floor in opposition to the bipartisan proposal to increase fuel efficiency standards.