"The bill being pushed by the auto industry is simply bad policy. Encouraging the purchase of inefficient vehicles undercuts the Ten-in-Ten Fuel Economy Act of 2007, which mandates at least a 10 mile-per-gallon increase in Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards over the next 10 years. And yet less than two years after passing this landmark bill we are weighing legislation that would create handouts for Hummers.

"The truth is, the House bill and its Senate counterpart are another big bailout. These bills are expertly designed to provide Detroit one last windfall in selling off gas guzzlers currently sitting on dealer lots because they’re not a smart buy.

"Supporters of the auto industry approach say that our bill’s higher fuel-efficiency requirements give foreign automakers an advantage. But there are plenty of fuel-efficient vehicles made by American companies that would qualify, including the Ford Escape, the Dodge Caravan, the Jeep Compass, the GMC Yukon Hybrid, the Chevrolet Cobalt, the Chrysler Sebring, the Saturn Aura Hybrid, the Pontiac Vibe, and many other models.