WASHINGTON - U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) released the following statement today on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) and the Department of Transportation's (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) decision to reconsider the EPA’s 2022-2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards.

Chairman Smith: “President Trump has stepped in to protect Americans from regulatory overreach.  CAFE standards imposed by the Obama administration made automobiles cost more while making them less safe and all with no significant savings in gasoline use.  The purpose of CAFE standards was to reduce dependence on foreign oil, but the goal has sadly missed the mark. With today’s effort, Administrator Pruitt and the EPA gain the ability to pursue an honest and open evaluation of the need for stricter standards in the future.  Through this reopening of the standards for review, the economic burden on the American people can be removed.”