WASHINGTON — As gasoline prices reached an all-time high and congressional Democrats prepared to push ambitious energy legislation, President Bush on Monday ordered his administration to take a step it had long avoided: regulating carbon dioxide emissions from cars and trucks.
Using the grandeur of the White House Rose Garden to draw attention to his unscheduled announcement, Bush said he took the action to meet his stated goal of reducing vehicle gasoline use by 20% over 10 years.
"When it comes to energy and the environment, the American people expect common sense, and they expect action," Bush said.
Critics accused Bush of trying to make a virtue out of necessity, saying he was forced to act out of legal and political obligations and noting that it was unclear what, if any, new regulation would result.
Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that the Clean Air Act required the administration to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles or to offer a scientific explanation for not taking action.
In coming weeks, the Democratic-led Congress plans to make it a priority to pass legislation to reduce greenhouse gases and U.S. dependence on foreign oil, including a measure to increase fuel efficiency standards.
"The White House merely announced its intention to propose a rule that may or may not have a real impact on global warming emissions," said Philip Clapp, president of the National Environmental Trust.
In his remarks, Bush did not endorse increasing fuel efficiency. And although he spoke about the need to "protect the environment," he did not explicitly link greenhouse gas emissions to global warming.
He ordered federal agencies to define the threat caused by carbon dioxide emissions and evaluate responses by the end of 2008. Bush leaves office in January 2009.
"This is a complicated legal and technical matter, and it's going to take time to fully resolve," he said.
California officials and some environmentalists were skeptical of Bush's motives, saying he might be trying to keep individual states from implementing laws to cut tailpipe emissions.
Under federal law, only California is allowed to pass its own air pollution laws, but it must obtain a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency. After California receives permission, other states can follow. The state submitted a waiver request for its landmark vehicle emissions law in December 2005. Eleven other states have adopted similar laws.
