KEY POINTS:
President Bush has indicated that he will veto a recent bill that would force all manufacturers in the US to meet a 35 mpg economy target by 2020.
To general surprise, the Senate passed the bill last month despite opposition from American manufacturers. To Europeans, the proposition appears incredibly lax, given that Europe is already at that level and wants to be at 50 mpg plus by 2020.
Bush says that it is not for legislators to set economy standards, it should be for experts selected by his administration.
Given the recent change in sentiment in the USA about fuel economy and dependence on foreign oil (which is why the Senate had such a sudden change of heart), it is hard to see how vetoing such a measure is going to make the President any more popular.
- REUTERS
