Letter to President George W. Bush, Re: Order Federal Decrease in Petroleum Use

Letter

NELSON URGES BUSH TO ORDER FEDERAL DECREASE IN PETROLEUM USE

In a continuing effort to ease the strain on Americans caused by high energy prices, Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson and Senator Susan Collins of Maine sent a letter to President Bush late yesterday urging him to issue a new executive order requiring all federal agencies with vehicles in the U.S. to decrease gas consumption by 5 percent per year through 2016.

"As our constituents continue to suffer from high gasoline, diesel and other energy costs, they have grown tired of the political infighting in Washington over this issue," wrote Senator Nelson in the letter. "Energy costs are causing serious financial hardship, and the current political rhetoric does not help anyone. People want to see positive and immediate action from their federal government."

In January 2007, President Bush signed Executive Order 13423, requiring all agencies with 20 or more vehicles in the U.S. to decrease their petroleum consumption by 2 percent per year through 2015, relative to their Fiscal Year 2005 baseline. That Executive order also required agencies to increase their alternative fuel usage by 10 percent per year.

"While we applaud this previous effort, we think that the drastic change in prices and circumstances over the past 18 months - with oil prices having approached $150 a barrel earlier this summer and gasoline hovering around $4 a gallon for months - necessitates more substantial and immediate action on the part of federal agencies to conserve fuel," wrote Nelson in the letter. "We believe such a step will provide an important opportunity for the federal government to demonstrate leadership on the matter of fuel conservation, as well as helping reduce demand for gasoline and diesel from one of the nation's largest single consumers of those products."

The text of the letter is below:

Dear Mr. President:

As our constituents continue to suffer from high gasoline, diesel and other energy costs, they have grown tired of the political fighting in Washington over this issue. Energy costs are causing serious financial hardship, and the current political rhetoric does not help anyone. People want to see positive and immediate action from their federal government. We, therefore, write to ask that you take important steps right now which will demonstrate the federal government's resolve to help ease the pain so many Americans are feeling at the pump by increasing the requirement for the federal fleet to reduce its petroleum consumption.

In January 2007, you signed Executive Order 13423, requiring all agencies with 20 or more vehicles in the United States to decrease their petroleum consumption by 2 percent per year through 2015, relative to their Fiscal Year 2005 baseline. That Executive Order also required agencies to increase their alternative fuel usage by 10 percent per year. While we applaud this previous effort, we think that the drastic change in prices and circumstances over the past 18 months - with oil prices having approached $150 a barrel earlier this summer and gasoline hovering around $4 a gallon for months - necessitates more substantial and immediate action on the part of federal agencies to conserve fuel.

As such, we respectfully request that you revoke Executive Order 13423 and replace it with a new executive order requiring all federal agencies with vehicles in the U.S. to decrease petroleum consumption by 5 percent per year relative to their Fiscal Year 2006 baseline through 2016, as well as continuing to require agencies to increase alternative fuel use by 10 percent per year relative to the previous year. We believe that any such requirement should provide necessary exemptions based on national security concerns and for any agency or federal vehicles operating in a theatre of war.

We believe that such a step will provide an important opportunity for the federal government to demonstrate leadership on the matter of fuel conservation, as well as helping reduce demand for gasoline and diesel from one of the nation's largest single consumers of those products. While we understand that there are no simple answers to the current energy crisis and that no single "silver bullet" solution exists, we do believe that by taking this simple step now, the federal government can reduce demand and help lower prices, thus easing the pain to consumers and setting an important example for all citizens.

Again, we urge you to issue a new executive order requiring federal agencies to reduce petroleum consumption by five percent per year. We appreciate your attention to our request and look forward to your response on this critical issue.

Sincerely,

Senator Ben Nelson
Senator Susan Collins

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