AIADA Applauds House Action on CAFE; Auto Dealers Make an Impact

    WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 The American International Automobile
Dealers Association (AIADA) is pleased with the outcome of yesterday's vote by
the U.S. House of Representatives to defeat an energy bill proposal that would
have increased Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for light-duty
trucks, including minivans, sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks.
    Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) and Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) offered an
amendment to the House energy bill (H.R. 4) to increase CAFE standards for
light-trucks to 27.5 mpg by 2007, matching the current fuel-economy standard
for cars.
    "Yesterday's vote was a strong and bipartisan win for the industry," said
AIADA President Walter Huizenga. "Hopefully, this is a wakeup call to all of
us in the industry to develop an energy conservation policy that everyone can
adopt and work to implement."
    AIADA supports the provision in H.R. 4 that provides for tax incentives
that encourage consumers to buy vehicles with advanced fuel economy
technologies, including hybrid, electric and fuel-cell vehicles. These tax
incentives address customer demand by encouraging consumers to buy clean,
fuel-efficient vehicles.
    The Senate is slated to begin discussion on the energy bill in September
when it returns from its August recess. Automobile dealers will continue to
educate senators about the impact of CAFE standards on the marketplace.

    About AIADA
    The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) is the
trade association representing America's 10,000 international nameplate
automobile dealerships and their more than 375,000 employees.  These retailers
sell and service automobiles manufactured both in the U.S. and abroad, and
have a positive economic impact both nationally and in the local communities
they serve.