Washington, D.C.—Following the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation’s hearing and vote to move forward with the nomination of Heidi R. King as Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Robbie Diamond, President and CEO of Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) released the following statement:

“Congratulations to Heidi King on today’s committee confirmation. Once confirmed, Administrator King will be a great leader for NHTSA at a time of unprecedented change in transportation, with opportunities to save fuel and save lives by expediting the deployment of advanced driver assistance and other early autonomous technologies. By incorporating these emerging technologies into fuel economy standards, 9,000 lives could be saved annually while improving the efficiency and competitiveness of our automotive industry. That is a great deal for the American people. SAFE looks forward to working with Administrator King and the NHTSA staff to achieve these goals and urges the full Senate to act quickly to confirm her committee approved nomination.”

About Securing America’s Future Energy

Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) is an action-oriented, nonpartisan organization that aims to reduce America’s dependence on oil. Near-total dependence on petroleum in the transportation sector undermines the nation’s economic and national security, and constrains U.S. foreign policy. To combat these threats, SAFE advocates for expanded domestic production of U.S. oil and gas resources, continued improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency, and transportation sector innovations including electric vehicles, natural gas trucks, and autonomous vehicles. In 2006, SAFE joined with General P.X. Kelley (Ret.), 28th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, and Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President, and CEO of FedEx Corporation, to form the Energy Security Leadership Council (ESLC), a group of business and former military leaders committed to reducing the United States’ dependence on oil. Today, the ESLC is co-chaired by Frederick W. Smith and General James T. Conway (Ret), 34th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.

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