U.S. lawmakers want better gas mileage

WASHINGTON, April 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. government is called on to set tough new fuel-economy standards as more Americans feel the pressure at the pump, a group of lawmakers said.

Gasoline prices in some U.S. markets have topped $4 per gallon as economic recovery and conflict in the Middle East puts pressure on energy supplies.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., along with 17 other lawmakers, called on the U.S. Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency to set stronger fuel-economy standards and give consumers the information they need to make better energy decisions.

The lawmakers called on the agencies to set a "maximum feasible" fuel-economy standard for model years 2017 to 2025. Draft regulations should focus on improving consumer awareness regarding fuel economy for large consumer vehicles, they said.

"The recent spike in oil prices remind us once again of the importance of your cooperative efforts to reduce America's dependence on oil," the bipartisan letter reads.

Both agencies are working on setting the first standards for passenger vehicles for model years 2017 to 2025.