Congress Approves Higher Auto Mileage Standards

WASHINGTON — Congress by a wide margin approved the first increase in automobile fuel economy in 32 years yesterday, and President Bush plans to quickly sign the legislation, accepting the mandates on the auto industry.

The energy bill, boosting mileage by 40% to 35 miles a gallon, passed the House 314–100 and now goes to the White House, following the Senate's approval last week.

In a statement, the White House said Mr. Bush will sign the legislation at the Energy Department today. In a dramatic shift to spur increased demand for non-fossil fuels, the bill also requires a six-fold increase in ethanol use to 36 billion gallons a year by 2022, a boon to farmers. And it requires new energy efficiency standards for an array of appliances, lighting, and commercial and government buildings.

"This is a choice between yesterday and tomorrow" on energy policy, the House speaker, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat of California, said. Ms. Pelosi was closely involved in crafting the legislation. "It's groundbreaking in what it will do," she said. While some GOP lawmakers criticized the bill for not addressing the need for more domestic oil and natural gas production, 95 GOP lawmakers joined Democrats in support of the bill. Ms. Pelosi and the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, acknowledged that they didn't get all they wanted, unable to push through a tax package to roll back $13.5 billion in tax breaks for oil companies and used the money to help spur wind, solar, and biomass energy development and conservation programs.