AAA Statement on Record High Gas Prices

    ORLANDO, Fla.--May 7, 2001--Today's new record high gasoline price -- averaging nearly $1.68 per gallon nationwide -- is a reminder that while Washington has been busy trying to pump up the economy with tax cuts, motorists are continuing to lose hundreds of dollars at the gas pump. In AAA's view, speedy adoption of a national energy policy is essential for continued economic growth because family budgets cannot easily absorb the high cost of fuel without curtailing or changing consumer spending in other areas of the economy.

    For this reason, AAA is again calling for:

--	the adoption of a national energy policy that will help stabilize gasoline prices at an affordable level.
--	the adoption of voluntary gasoline conservation measures by motorists and businesses.
--	a White House declaration that cleaner-burning fuel regulations will be suspended on an emergency basis if fuel shortages appear imminent in a region where gasoline could otherwise be available.
--	formation of a Presidential commission to recommend whether the nation could convert to a single fuel standard that would preserve air quality.