Washington Examiner
· collected 2026-10-08 · by Sen. Mike Crapo
The Washington Examiner published an editorial supporting President Trump's adjustment to Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, arguing it makes cars more affordable for consumers. The article criticizes the Biden administration’s stricter CAFE targets, which aimed to rapidly increase fuel efficiency and promote electric vehicles but were seen as too costly and restrictive for automakers and consumers. Trump’s reset is projected to reduce new vehicle costs by $1,300 per family and save $138 billion over five years while preventing injuries and saving lives.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Sen. Mike Crapo wrote in the Washington Examiner that President Trump’s reset of CAFE standards is beneficial for car affordability. The article criticizes the Biden administration for pushing strict fuel-economy rules, which would have required automakers to nearly double average fleet-wide fuel efficiency by 2030. These stringent requirements were seen as an attempt to force a shift towards electric vehicles and would likely increase new car prices for consumers who rely on gas-powered cars.
Trump's adjustments to the CAFE program are expected to lower the cost of a new vehicle by $1,300 for families over five years, saving the public around $138 billion, preventing more than 300,000 serious injuries, and potentially saving 1,900 lives. The piece argues that these changes will give car manufacturers greater flexibility in producing vehicles desired by consumers while also encouraging new car sales.
Written for “CAFE Standards Reset” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
The Washington Examiner published an editorial titled “Trump just made cars more affordable” on Oct. 3.
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cars → publish → Oct.
I couldn’t agree more.
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I → agree → ?
The Biden administration stretched the CAFE program far beyond its original purpose and used fuel-economy requirements to pursue a de facto electric vehicle mandate.
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administration → stretch → mandate
The Biden administration’s fuel economy targets required automakers to more than double average fleet-wide fuel economy in less than 10 years for conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles.
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targets → require → vehicles
By adopting these unworkable standards, the regulatory goal was to manipulate the types of cars available to consumers, exacerbating the effects of a program that has gradually increased sticker prices for new motor vehicles and outlived any strategic use Congress had intended.
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Congress → adopt → use
If allowed to proceed, the costs incurred from noncompliance with these Biden-era CAFE standards would have been passed on to consumers, thereby placing an immense financial burden on families who rely on affordable internal combustion engine vehicles for work and travel.
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who → allow → work
Despite Biden officials’ attempts to rewrite their record on affordability, continuing these punitive regulations would have distorted the automobile market, reduced vehicle choice, and driven up the cost of automobiles for hardworking families, while failing to meaningfully insulate Americans from volatility in global oil markets.
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continuing → rewrite → markets
Consumers should be able to select the car or truck that best meets their family, work, and transportation needs.
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that → select → needs
The Trump administration’s recent adjustment of the CAFE standards is estimated to reduce the cost of buying a new vehicle and save taxpayers billions of dollars.
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adjustment → estimate → dollars
Specifically, the administration projects, as the initiative gives automakers the flexibility to manufacture cars the public wants and encourages new car sales, it will reduce the cost of a new vehicle by $1,300 for families, save the public $138 billion over the next five years, prevent more than 300,000 serious injuries, and save 1,900 lives.
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it → project → lives
It also builds on the Working Families Tax Cuts’s elimination of the civil monetary penalties for CAFE violations, an important achievement that should set the stage for a wholesale repeal of the underlying statutory program.
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that → build → program
Over the summer, I introduced the Restoring Affordability in Automobile Manufacturing Act, which would eliminate this outdated program starting model year 2029 and bar any future administration from using CAFE standards to pursue unrelated climate goals.
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which → introduce → goals
Congress established the CAFE program in 1975, following OPEC’s oil embargo to reduce petroleum consumption, improve vehicle fuel economy, and strengthen our nation’s energy security.
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Congress → establish → security
While many drivers have reduced their fuel consumption habits since this statute was enacted, CAFE standards have driven up the sticker price of new automobiles through cumbersome mandates on motor vehicle design.
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standards → reduce → design
These requirements under CAFE’s dual-fleet structure have gradually incentivized our nation’s automobile manufacturers to offshore their operations.
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requirements → incentivize → operations
Moreover, the energy-security landscape has changed significantly since the 1970s as the United States has dramatically increased domestic oil production and reduced its reliance on imported petroleum, further undermining any need for their regulatory continuation.
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States → change → continuation
When writing in support of the RAAM Act, Americans for Prosperity further explained the need for the legislation: “Since the 1970s, advances in engine technology, fuel refinement, and strong consumer demand for fuel efficiency have already held automakers accountable for delivering products that meet the market’s needs.
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that → write → needs
Increasingly, however, CAFE standards and related federal programs have been weaponized to eliminate vehicle choices from the marketplace — a marketplace whose regulation properly belongs to the federal government.
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regulation → weaponize → government
Affordability, reliability, and consumer choice remain paramount concerns.
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Affordability → remain → ?
Forcing certain technologies on the market through regulatory mandates is fundamentally anti-consumer, especially concerning electric vehicle mandates.
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Forcing → force → mandates
Unlike the Biden-era mandates, both the Trump administration’s CAFE reset and the RAAM Act adopt a federal automobile policy based on trusting and empowering consumers, rather than federal bureaucrats, to make their own purchasing decisions.
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reset → adopt → decisions
Mike Crapo is a Republican U.S. senator representing the people of Idaho.
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Crapo → represent → Idaho
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