Weekly Washington Report (December 10-14, 2007)	December 14, 2007
Welcome to my Weekly Washington Report for the week of December 10-14. I hope this newsletter keeps you informed about some of the important matters facing our State, our Nation, and the U.S. Senate. Among the key issues this week: Raising Fuel Efficiency Standards 10 Miles Per Gallon Over 10 Years The Detention Facility at Guantanamo Bay Increasing Transparency in Our Nation's Energy Markets If you have any comments or questions on these or any other issues, please don't hesitate to let me know. Please send any comments you have through my website. Best wishes, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein
Raising Fuel Efficiency Standards 10 Miles Per Gallon Over 10 Years Return to Top The Senate took a momentous step this week when it approved the largest fuel economy increase in more than two decades. This legislation is the result of an agreement long negotiated and hard fought. The bill will increase the fuel efficiency of the overall fleet 10 miles per gallon over 10 years, or a fleetwide average of 35 miles per gallon by Model Year 2020. It will achieve serious savings in our use of oil, make substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and put money back in the pockets of American consumers. By 2025, the fuel economy increases for cars and light-duty trucks would: Save 2.0 million barrels of oil per day, nearly the amount of oil imported today from the Persian Gulf. Achieve up to 17 percent reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from anticipated levels, or the equivalent of taking 49 million cars off the road in one year. Save hardworking American families between $700 - $1,000 at the pump per year, and a net $53 billion in consumer savings. So, let there be no doubt, this bill is a win for the American people. It is a win for the automotive industry. It is a win for autoworkers. And it’s time for the President to sign this bill into law. For more information, you can read the news release that explains the details of the legislation. You can also watch my remarks on the Floor of the Senate immediately following the landmark vote on passage. Please also visit my Global Warming: A Time to Act priority page.
The Detention Facility at Guantanamo Bay Return to Top The detention facility at Guantanamo Bay has become a lightning rod for international condemnation. Open-ended detentions and documented reports of detainee abuse have tarnished America’s reputation and complicated our nation’s efforts to fight global terrorism. Last week, I chaired a Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on the legal rights of Guantanamo detainees. The purpose was to explore what is happening at Guantanamo, why cases are not being prosecuted, what needs to be done with detainees who haven’t been charged, and to determine what legal rights all detainees should be afforded. At the hearing, I noted that it has been six years since the first detainees were brought to Guantanamo, yet the Administration has yet to try a single detainee, either in a U.S. criminal court or before a military commission. I also noted that new concerns have been raised about the legal rights of detainees – not just by outside legal scholars, but by the very military officers who personally participated in the process. Earlier this year, I introduced legislation requiring the President to close the facility within one year, and to find a process for transferring detainees and ensuring they face justice. I am disappointed that so far, it has been blocked in the Senate. Bottom line: Guantanamo hurts America’s reputation around the world, every day. We need to close it down and establish a process for bringing detainees to justice. To learn more, you can read, watch or listen to my opening statement at the Guantanamo hearing. Click here to read an op-ed I wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle, "Close Guantanamo Now " (July 30, 2007) Click here to learn more about the legislation that I have introduced to close down the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.
Increasing Transparency in Our Nation's Energy Markets Return to Top The Senate this week approved a measure that I sponsored to help prevent unscrupulous traders from manipulating our nation’s energy markets. Since 2000, there has been a tremendous growth in the trading of energy futures on unregulated electronic markets. The lack of federal oversight in these markets, due to the so-called “Enron Loophole,” has cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars of losses. So, the goal of the legislation that I offered is to increase transparency in these energy markets and close the “Enron Loophole.” The amendment would: Increase federal oversight authority to detect and prevent manipulation; Create an audit trail; and Increase transparency in U.S. electronic energy markets. The key to the legislation is that it is supported by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), and the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets. And this legislation will close the Enron Loophole once and for all. You can read the news release to learn more about this legislation. Click here to watch my remarks on the Senate Floor to discuss the details of the legislation.
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