The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on an energy bill during the week of June 11 that includes a provision to dramatically raise the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards. If enacted into law, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would be required to increase the combined CAFE standards for passenger cars and light trucks by 4% a year through 2030, to a combined average of 52 mpg. The current standards are 27.5 mpg for cars and 22.2 for light trucks, SUVs and minivans.
SEMA urges you to contact your two Senators (below) in opposition to arbitrary CAFE increases contained in the energy bill fuel economy and in support of reasonable increases that take into account technological feasibility, safety, jobs and consumer choice. SEMA is working with the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers in this effort. SEMA and the automakers believe NHTSA, rather than Congress, has better expertise in establishing balanced and realistic CAFE standards.
Time is of the essence so your message should be e-mailed to your Senators. SEMA has made the process very simple:
1. Find your two Senators below (listed by state) and click on the link. The link will either send you to their webmail or automatically create an e-mail.
2. Cut and paste the pre-written letter into an e-mail. Please feel free to personalize the letter.
3. Send an e-mail to Stuart Gosswein (stuartg@sema.org) in SEMA's D.C. office letting us know you have added your voice to the cause.
Sample E-Mail
[DATE]
The Honorable [FULL NAME]
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator [Last Name]:
I am writing to urge you to oppose the arbitrary CAFE increase contained in S. 1419 and, instead, urge you to vote for technologically feasible increases that preserve consumer safety and choice.
I am contacting you on behalf of [COMPANY NAME] and its [INSERT NUMBER] employees. [Company name] is located in [city and state], and [indicate nature of business, e.g., manufacture engine parts, sell automotive components in retail stores or service trucks and automobiles]. The company is also a member of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), a trade association that has over 7,000 member companies and represents the $36.7 billion specialty-automotive industry headquartered in Diamond Bar, California.
Our company values fuel economy—but we also value many other attributes that come with a new automobile such as safety, passenger and cargo room, performance, towing, hauling capacity and more. Our industry produces many of the products that provide all of these attributes, including better fuel economy. We believe CAFE decisions are best made by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since experts at this federal agency can balance fuel economy with other issues, such as jobs, consumer choice and safety.
I urge you to support an alternative to this extreme legislation that will significantly increase fuel economy in a realistic fashion, while also mandating an increased production of automobiles that run on alternative fuels like ethanol, biodiesel and other bio fuels, and encouraging more gas stations to offer these alternative fuels.
I urge you support consumer choice and vote for the better fuel economy alternative.
Sincerely,
[NAME, TITLE]
United States Senate
Alabama
Sessions, Jeff- (R - AL)
Web Form: sessions.senate.gov/email/contact.cfm
Shelby, Richard C.- (R - AL)
E-mail: senator@shelby.senate.gov
Alaska
Murkowski, Lisa- (R - AK)
Web Form: murkowski.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Stevens, Ted- (R - AK)
Web Form: http://stevens.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.EmailSenatorStevens
Arizona
Kyl, Jon- (R - AZ)
Web Form: kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm
McCain, John- (R - AZ)
Web Form: http://mccain.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm?ID=64
Arkansas
Lincoln, Blanche L.- (D - AR)
Web Form: lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html
Pryor, Mark L.- (D - AR)
Web Form: pryor.senate.gov/contact/
California
Boxer, Barbara- (D - CA)
Web Form: http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/email/policy.cfm
Feinstein, Dianne- (D - CA)
Web Form: feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactU...
Colorado
Allard, Wayne- (R - CO)
Web Form: allard.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
Salazar, Ken- (D - CO)
Web Form: salazar.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Connecticut
Dodd, Christopher J.- (D - CT)
Web Form: http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3128&cat=Opinion
Lieberman, Joseph I.- (ID - CT)
Web Form: lieberman.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm?regarding=issue
Delaware
Biden, Joseph R., Jr.- (D - DE)
Web Form: biden.senate.gov/contact/emailjoe.cfm
Carper, Thomas R.- (D - DE)
Web Form: carper.senate.gov/aemail.htm
Florida
Martinez, Mel- (R - FL)
Web Form: martinez.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactIn...
Nelson, Bill- (D - FL)
Web Form: billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Georgia
Chambliss, Saxby- (R - GA)
Web Form: chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactU...
Isakson, Johnny- (R - GA)
Web Form: isakson.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Hawaii
Akaka, Daniel K.- (D - HI)
Web Form: akaka.senate.gov/email.cfm
Inouye, Daniel K.- (D - HI)
Web Form: inouye.senate.gov/abtform.html
Idaho
Craig, Larry E.- (R - ID)
Web Form: http://craig.senate.gov/webform.cfm
Crapo, Mike- (R - ID)
Web Form: crapo.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Illinois
Durbin, Richard- (D - IL)
Web Form: durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Obama, Barack- (D - IL)
Web Form: obama.senate.gov/contact/
Indiana
Bayh, Evan- (D - IN)
Web Form: http://bayh.senate.gov/LegForm.htm
Lugar, Richard G.- (R - IN)
E-mail: senator_lugar@lugar.senate.gov
Iowa
Grassley, Chuck- (R - IA)
Web Form: grassley.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
Harkin, Tom- (D - IA)
Web Form: harkin.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
Kansas
Brownback, Sam- (R - KS)
Web Form: brownback.senate.gov/CMEmailMe.cfm
Roberts, Pat- (R - KS)
Web Form: roberts.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactInf...
Kentucky
Bunning, Jim- (R - KY)
Web Form: bunning.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Email
McConnell, Mitch- (R - KY)
Web Form: mcconnell.senate.gov/contact_form.cfm
Louisiana
Landrieu, Mary L.- (D - LA)
Web Form: landrieu.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Vitter, David- (R - LA)
Web Form: vitter.senate.gov/?module=webformIQV1
Maine
Collins, Susan M.- (R - ME)
Web Form: collins.senate.gov/public/continue.cfm?FuseAction=Contact...
Snowe, Olympia J.- (R - ME)
Web Form: snowe.senate.gov/contact.htm
Maryland
Cardin, Benjamin L.- (D - MD)
Web Form: cardin.senate.gov/contact/
Mikulski, Barbara A.- (D - MD)
Web Form: mikulski.senate.gov/mailform.html
Massachusetts
Kennedy, Edward M.- (D - MA)
Web Form: kennedy.senate.gov/senator/contact.cfm
Kerry, John F.- (D - MA)
Web Form: kerry.senate.gov/v3/contact/email.html
Michigan
Levin, Carl- (D - MI)\
Web Form: http://levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Stabenow, Debbie- (D - MI)
Web Form: stabenow.senate.gov/email.htm
Minnesota
Coleman, Norm- (R - MN)
Web Form: coleman.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm
Klobuchar, Amy- (D - MN)
Web Form: klobuchar.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Mississippi
Cochran, Thad- (R - MS)
Web Form: cochran.senate.gov/contact.htm
Lott, Trent- (R - MS)
Web Form: lott.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Email
Missouri
Bond, Christopher S.- (R - MO)
Web Form: bond.senate.gov/contact/contactme.cfm
McCaskill, Claire- (D - MO)
Web Form: mccaskill.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Montana
Baucus, Max- (D - MT)
Web Form: baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=issue
Tester, Jon- (D - MT)
Web Form: tester.senate.gov/Contact/
Nebraska
Hagel, Chuck- (R - NE)
Web Form: hagel.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
Nelson, E. Benjamin- (D - NE)
Web Form: bennelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Nevada
Ensign, John- (R - NV)
Web Form: ensign.senate.gov/forms/email_form.cfm
Reid, Harry- (D - NV)
Web Form: reid.senate.gov/contact/email_form.cfm
New Hampshire
Gregg, Judd- (R - NH)
Web Form: gregg.senate.gov/sitepages/contact.cfm
Sununu, John E.- (R - NH)
Web Form: www.sununu.senate.gov/webform.html
New Jersey
Lautenberg, Frank R.- (D - NJ)
Web Form: lautenberg.senate.gov/contact/
Menendez, Robert- (D - NJ)
Web Form: menendez.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
New Mexico
Bingaman, Jeff- (D - NM)
E-mail: senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov
Domenici, Pete V.- (R - NM)
Web Form: domenici.senate.gov/contact/contactform.cfm
New York
Clinton, Hillary Rodham- (D - NY)
Web Form: http://clinton.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm?subj=issue
Schumer, Charles E.- (D - NY)
Web Form: schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/contact/webform.cfm
North Carolina
Burr, Richard- (R - NC)
Web Form: burr.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
Dole, Elizabeth- (R - NC)
Web Form: dole.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactInformation.C...
North Dakota
Conrad, Kent- (D - ND)
Web Form: conrad.senate.gov/webform.html
Dorgan, Byron L.- (D - ND)
E-mail: senator@dorgan.senate.gov
Ohio
Brown, Sherrod- (D - OH)
Web Form: brown.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Voinovich, George V.- (R - OH)
Web Form: voinovich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact....
Oklahoma
Coburn, Tom- (R - OK)
Web Form: http://coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenatorCoburn.Home
Inhofe, James M.- (R - OK)
Web Form: inhofe.senate.gov/contactus.htm
Oregon
Smith, Gordon H.- (R - OR)
Web Form: gsmith.senate.gov/webform.htm
Wyden, Ron- (D - OR)
Web Form: wyden.senate.gov/contact.html
Pennsylvania
Casey, Robert P., Jr.- (D - PA)
Web Form: casey.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Specter, Arlen- (R - PA)
Web Form: specter.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactInfo.Home
Rhode Island
Reed, Jack- (D - RI)
Web Form: reed.senate.gov/contact/contact-share.cfm
Whitehouse, Sheldon- (D - RI)
Web Form: whitehouse.senate.gov/contact.cfm
South Carolina
DeMint, Jim- (R - SC)
Web Form: demint.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
Graham, Lindsey- (R - SC)
Web Form: lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?mode=contact
South Dakota
Johnson, Tim- (D - SD)
Web Form: johnson.senate.gov/emailform.cfm
Thune, John- (R - SD)
Web Form: http://thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Email
Tennessee
Alexander, Lamar- (R - TN)
Web Form: alexander.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
Corker, Bob- (R - TN)
Web Form: corker.senate.gov/Contact/index.cfm
Texas
Cornyn, John- (R - TX)
Web Form: cornyn.senate.gov/contact/index.html
Hutchison, Kay Bailey- (R - TX)
Web Form: hutchison.senate.gov/contact.html
Utah
Bennett, Robert F.- (R - UT)
Web Form: http://bennett.senate.gov/contact/email_opinion.cfm
Hatch, Orrin G.- (R - UT)
Web Form: hatch.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Offices.Contact
Vermont
Leahy, Patrick J.- (D - VT)
E-mail: senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
Sanders, Bernard- (I - VT)
Web Form: sanders.senate.gov/comments/
Virginia
Warner, John- (R - VA)
Web Form: warner.senate.gov/contact/contactme.cfm
Webb, Jim- (D - VA)
Web Form: webb.senate.gov/contact/
Washington
Cantwell, Maria- (D - WA)
Web Form: cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html
Murray, Patty- (D - WA)
Web Form: murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm
West Virginia
Byrd, Robert C.- (D - WV)
Web Form: byrd.senate.gov/byrd_email.html
Rockefeller, John D., IV- (D - WV)
Web Form: rockefeller.senate.gov/services/email.cfm
Wisconsin
Feingold, Russell D.- (D - WI)
Web Form: feingold.senate.gov/contact_opinion.html
Kohl, Herb- (D - WI)
Web Form: kohl.senate.gov/gen_contact.html
Wyoming
Enzi, Michael B.- (R - WY)
Web Form: enzi.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactInform...