Markey, Matsui, Davids and Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Scrap Plan to Weaken Vehicle Fuel Efficiency

Washington (February 4, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Representatives Doris Matsui (CA-07) and Sharice Davids (KS-03) led 78 total lawmakers in calling on the Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to withdraw the proposed rollback of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards, as this attack on the standards would increase costs for hardworking Americans, reduce vehicle efficiency, and increase our reliance on foreign oil imports.

"Historically, strong CAFE standards have driven American innovation, from hybridization and advanced powertrains to aerodynamic breakthroughs," wrote the lawmakers. "We currently have widely available and well-proven tools to keep improving fuel economy, which save Americans money at the pump and deliver more affordable, efficient, cleaner vehicles."

Since 1975, fuel efficiency standards have saved American drivers thousands of dollars in fuel costs. The existing CAFE standards, finalized under the Biden Administration, were expected to save Americans more than $84 billion in fuel costs and other health benefits.

The Trump Administration's proposed rollback of the CAFE standards would reduce the required fleetwide average fuel economy from 50.4 miles per gallon for Model Year (MY) 2031 vehicles to just 34.5 miles per gallon. This would effectively eliminate any requirement for automakers to improve fuel economy and is a clear violation of the requirement in law to set the maximum feasible standards, as automakers are already exceeding the proposed MY 2031 standards with a fleetwide average of 35.4 miles per gallon in MY 2024.

"We strongly urge the Department of Transportation to withdraw this misguided CAFE proposal and maintain the existing fuel economy standards," the lawmakers concluded. "Weakening the fuel economy standards and forcing Americans to purchase more expensive, gas-guzzling vehicles would exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis and serve as yet another betrayal of President Trump's promise to lower energy costs for the American people."

In addition to the rollback of fuel economy requirements, the Trump administration is also proposing to eliminate fuel-efficiency credits that help lower the cost of manufacturing electric vehicles-yet another thinly veiled attack on EVs.

This follows Republicans' Big Ugly Bill, which eliminated penalties for automakers that fail to comply with fuel economy standards and instead sell vehicles that will cost drivers more at the pump. This means there's effectively no requirement to follow the standards at all-leaving drivers with bigger bills and the United States more reliant on oil imports.

Full text of the letter is available HERE.

Senator Markey has been a fuel economy champion since standards were enabled by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which included fuel economy language co-authored by then-Rep. Markey. That law included Markey's language that said the standard must be at least 35 mpg by 2020, and that the "maximum feasible standard" must be set every year. During the first Trump Administration, Senator Markey reintroduced the Greener Air Standards Mean Our National Security, Environment, and Youth (GAS MONEY) Saved Act, which would block efforts to roll back fuel economy and vehicle emission standards.

Senator Markey was also a key force in strengthening the vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards, which are set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect our health, our climate, and cut gasoline bills. On September 22, 2025, Senator Markey (D-Mass.) led ten of his Senate colleagues in writing to EPA Administrator Zeldin, urging the agency to reverse course on the elimination of federal standards for greenhouse gas emissions from passenger cars and medium and heavy-duty trucks. Senator Markey has been a champion for clean vehicles since stronger standards were enabled by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which included fuel economy language co-authored by then Representative Markey. On July 13, 2023, Senators Markey, Tom Carper (D-Del.), and Padilla led nearly 100 colleagues in writing a letter to then-Administrator Michael Regan, urging the EPA to finalize the strongest feasible multi-pollutant vehicle emission standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles by the end of 2023.

The Trump administration is also proposing to eliminate the vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards, which are projected to prevent 2,500 premature deaths, as well as save drivers $6,000 over the next five years by cutting fuel costs.

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