According to Eilperin, Tuesday's announcement of the "historic" rules by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, "will mark the culmination of a compromise the White House forged between the auto industry, environmentalists, labor unions and the state of California."
"Unlike many energy policies enacted under President Obama, the vehicle standards are a relatively uncontroversial move embraced by industry and environmentalists alike," notes Eilperin. However not all are supportive of the new rules: "presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney has vowed to overturn them if elected."
"Kevin Kennedy, who directs the U.S. climate initiative at the World Resources Institute, noted that light-duty vehicle emissions represent approximately 17 percent of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions.""These rules represent one of the best opportunities for the administration to take a bite out of emissions that are damaging the planet, and in a way that's good for consumers and the auto industry," Kennedy said.
