Letter from John Warner [Clueless Mr. Drive 55]
August 23, 2008
Thank you for contacting me regarding a national speed limit. I always appreciate hearing from my fellow Virginians.
As you may know, in January of 1974, President Richard Nixon signed into law “The Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act.” This law put forth inducements for states to lower their speed limits to 55 miles per hour on all major highways. The purpose of this law was to temporarily reduce consumption of petroleum due to a shortage caused by the Arab oil embargo. The 55 mile per hour speed limit, which saved 167,000 barrels of oil a day as well as enhancing highway safety, was repealed in 1995, when a barrel of oil cost 12 dollars.
On July 3, 2008, I sent a letter to Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman asking the Department of Energy to conduct a study on fuel conservation. In this letter I asked the Department of Energy to answer four questions: (1) at what speed is the typical vehicle traveling America’s highways most fuel efficient? (2) if a speed limit law were enacted consistent with the most fuel efficient speed of today, what would be a reasonable projection of total fuel savings? (3) if a national speed limit was enacted consistent with the previous two questions, how many fewer barrels of petroleum a day would Americans consume? (4) If the federal government reduced its oil consumption, how many barrels of petroleum would be saved? While I did not specifically call for a national speed limit of 55 miles per hour, I feel this letter was an important step in bringing this issue of conservation to the national spotlight.
In the meantime, on July 15, 2008, I introduced the Immediate Steps to Conserve Gasoline Act (S.3266). S.3266 would require Government-wide initiatives to conserve gasoline. This Act would require each Federal department and agency, including Congress, to reduce gasoline consumption by no less than 3 percent the fiscal year 2009. In addition to this short-term, mandatory reduction, the Government Accountability Office would study whether reductions in subsequent years is technically feasible. It is my belief that this overall reduction in consumption would send a strong signal, as a nation, that the United States is working to conserve energy. S.3266 has since been referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, of which I am a member
Over the past year many Americans have made changes to their daily routines in order to conserve energy and spend less money on gasoline. Please be assured that as I continue to address the domestic energy problems facing this nation, I will keep your concerns and efforts in mind.
Sincerely,
John W. Warner
United States Senator
[Our Reply: It didn't work then and it won't work now. This will NOT bring down gas prices. It will only conserve... and who is the Federal government to tell us how fast we must drive? It should be up to the states!
If you live in California and don't think who gets elected in Virginia matters because it doesn't affect you, think again! This Republican must be defeated unless he changes his position on this. - FedUpEditor]
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