President Trump expected to announce review of fuel economy rules

That is what the White House now plans to do. They want lower fuel-economy requirements and less-stringent controls on carbon dioxide emissions.

The announcement today is timed to coincide with Trump’s trip to MI to meet with auto executives and workers to tout his jobs agenda.

While electric vehicles and fuel-efficient small cars have struggled to generate demand, SUVs and crossovers are surging.

The president is scheduled to appear on the Fox News program, “Tucker Carlson Tonight”, at 9:00 p.m. ET Wednesday. “There was a lot of data that was submitted, and I think it is fair to say the Obama EPA just ignored it”.

Evidently, if gas would have been more expensive in the US, automakers would have probably struggled to sell the gas guzzlers they were referring, while the eco-friendly and frugal models would be their most successful products.

Oh, Florida: “Gov. Rick Scott and other top Florida Republicans frequently complain about government spending, but they have quietly spent more than $237 million on private lawyers to advance and defend their agendas, an Associated Press investigation has found”.

Trump in the White House and a fossil fuel ally at the helm of the EPA may have been seen as openings to scrap the stricter standards.

The White House official acknowledged that the administration could face legal challenges in 2018 if it made a decision to go another course, particularly with California’s vow to push through tough standards. Thirteen other states have adopted California rules that account for about 40 percent of US vehicle sales. Since that time, automakers are innovating to meet and even exceed these standards. If, as environmental and auto lobbyists anticipate, the administration ultimately decides to weaken the rules, California will nearly certainly move to invoke its federal waiver. “Pruitt-Feb. -21-2016-Signed.pdf” target=”_blank”>says (PDF) instead that, “The Alliance requests that EPA withdraw the Final Determination and resume the Midterm Evaluation, in accordance with its original timetable, to remedy the severe procedural and substantive defects that have infected the process to date”. It has been challenged only once, when the administration of George W. Bush objected to the state’s effort to use it to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

However, a rule change is far from a slam dunk.

The order will be the latest in a line of orders and actions from Trump to repeal or weaken Obama environmental regulations.

Critics like Democratic U.S. Senator Edward Markey of MA said Trump’s move could hurt consumers. The current regulations could be improved from both an environmental and administrative standpoint, said Mary Nichols, chairman of California’s Air Resources Board.

During his candidacy Trump had been a vocal in his criticism of NAFTA and auto manufacturers with business operations outside of the United States.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions today said that he never gave President Trump any reason to believe the Obama administration had wiretapped Trump Tower. But that seems unlikely. “This is what we’re going to do”.

Auto companies complained to Trump in a November letter that complying with Obama’s standards would require them to spend a “staggering” $200 billion between 2012 and 2025.