Republicans Propose to Eliminate Fuel Efficiency Rules in New Legislation**

The proposed legislation by Senate Republicans seeks to nullify 50 years of fuel efficiency rules, removing fines for non-compliance, which has raised alarm among environmentalists and supporters of fuel-efficient technologies.**

Republicans in the Senate are advancing a proposal in President Trump's domestic policy bill that seeks to dismantle nearly five decades of fuel efficiency regulations for cars and light trucks. The key provision of this proposal would eliminate financial penalties for automakers that fail to adhere to federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards instituted by Congress in 1975.

Historically, these standards have compelled automakers to enhance the fuel efficiency of their vehicles, encouraging innovations such as hybrid models like the Toyota Prius. However, environmental advocates express growing concerns that the lack of penalties could allow car manufacturers to bypass these regulations completely, potentially leading to increased gasoline consumption, elevated fuel prices, and heightened pollution from vehicles.

Daniel Becker, director of the Safe Climate Transport Campaign at the Center for Biological Diversity, voiced concerns about the implications of relaxed fuel economy standards: “If polluters are told that there’s no penalty for polluting, what do you think they’re going to do? They’ll be perfectly happy to pollute more and make more gas guzzlers.”

Automakers such as General Motors and Stellantis have expressed support for relaxing these standards, viewing the elimination of fines as a financially beneficial relief should they fall short of compliance. Conversely, experts highlight that this move may disadvantage manufacturers like Toyota that have invested significantly in fuel-efficient technologies to meet existing standards.

Democratic senators have attempted to challenge this proposal through procedural measures overseen by the Senate parliamentarian, a nonpartisan official responsible for ensuring legislative rules are followed. Senate Republicans aim to streamline the passage of this legislation to circumvent a filibuster, but they must adhere to Senate rules stipulating that the bill focus primarily on federal spending without increasing long-term deficits.