White House Resists Energy Panel RequestDingell seeks White House testimony on its proposed fuel economy standardsWASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2007
By KEN THOMAS Associated Press Writer
(AP) The White House is resisting a congressional request for an economic adviser to
President Bush to testify about the administration's fuel economy proposal.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich., wants Al
Hubbard, the director of the National Economic Council, to discuss Bush's plan to
upgrade the federal fuel efficiency requirements for new passenger cars.
Then-White House counsel Harriet Miers, in a Feb. 1 letter, said Hubbard would decline
the invitation because of the "long-standing policy of the executive branch" preventing
members of the president's personal staff from testifying before congressional committees.
-snip-Dingell and Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., in a letter released Monday, noted that presidential
assistants had appeared before congressional committees more than 45 times during the
past three decades.
-snip-The White House has called for reforms to the car system, which requires automakers to
meet a fleetwide average of 27.5 miles per gallon, to provide more flexibility for
automakers and take into account the vehicle's dimensions.