Senior House Democrats today said they do not expect a vote on corporate average fuel economy to occur before the August recess.
Both House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) separately told reporters this afternoon they do not believe CAFE will be part of the energy bill the House is expected to take up next week.
"My expectation is that CAFE will be addressed at a later date," Hoyer said. "But I think CAFE will undoubtedly be addressed ... the CAFE provision will be on any bill we send to the president."
At the same time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has yet to take a definitive position.
Hoyer said he still expects the energy legislation to come to the floor next week, comprised exclusively of the bills reported out of various committees earlier this year. "That was not the subject," Hoyer said of CAFE. "What I expect to be the subject is that which was discussed in our press conference" to announce the energy package, he said.
Hoyer did leave the door open for the House to accept the Senate position on CAFE when the energy legislation goes to conference. "That's certainly an option or we could deal with it in September," he said.
Hoyer's comments come as industry groups, environmentalists and lawmakers are working to build support in favor of a CAFE proposal.
A broad coalition of industry groups -- including automakers but also various state and national business groups -- today publicly threw their support behind the CAFE proposal offered by Reps. Baron Hill (D-Ind.) and Lee Terry (R-Neb.).
The Hill-Terry plan would keep separate standards for passenger cars and light trucks but require that the average standard for the overall vehicle fleet sold in the United States be no less than 32 mpg and no greater than 35 mpg by 2022. The bill's supporters have been able to gather more than 100 cosponsors, roughly divided equally between Democrats and Republicans.
Dingell, who previously said he could back the legislation, also officially signed on as a cosponsor of the bill and appeared at a press conference with other supporters of the legislation to throw his support behind the measure.
Dingell also indicated he did not anticipate having to deal with the CAFE issue until the fall, when his committee takes up the climate change package.
"We have had a number of discussions, and the speaker has indicated to me in our discussions that she favors ... to bring forward during the month of September all of the tough issues which exist with regard to global warming, climate change and also energy supplies," he said.
When pressed further about whether he has received an assurance from Pelosi on CAFE, Dingell said, "The speaker must speak for herself ... I have said what I have said, and I do not choose to expand upon it."
Pelosi's office was not available for comment at press time.
Meanwhile, advocates of the CAFE plans sponsored by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) -- which resembles the Senate legislation -- intend to continue pressing for a CAFE vote next week.
Markey, several lawmakers and environmental groups have scheduled a press conference for tomorrow to call for consideration of both CAFE and a renewable portfolio standard on the upcoming energy bill.
A Markey spokeswoman this afternoon said no decision has been made on whether the House will take up CAFE next week. "There has been no definitive decision," said spokeswoman Jessica Schafer. "But I think it's clear with the Senate action that there is clear support for 35 miles per gallon."
Markey's bill mandates a CAFE standard of 35 miles per gallon for light trucks and passenger cars by 2018 and has more than 150 House cosponsors.
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