WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. auto dealers are working to undo the Obama administration’s fuel efficiency agenda, replacing car companies that for years kept such mandates at bay with the help of allies in Congress.

The car industry is facing dramatic new standards that would double efficiency targets to 54 miles per gallon by 2025, under an administration plan unveiled in July and set to be officially proposed in the coming weeks.

WASHINGTON, Oct 24 (Reuters) – U.S. passenger and cargo
airlines would be shielded from a European law making carriers
worldwide pay for carbon emissions under legislation approved
by the House of Representatives on Monday.

Lawmakers sent a strong message to the European Union on
its unilateral action, fiercely opposed by carriers, travel
groups, labor and a number of countries, including China.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A proposed law shielding airlines from a European effort to make carriers worldwide pay for carbon emissions gained traction on Monday in the House of Representatives and was likely headed for passage.

Lawmakers were poised to send a strong message to the European Union on its unilateral action, which is opposed by carriers globally and a number of countries, including China.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Fresh from defeat over their latest economic stimulus plan, Democrats in the Senate pushed ahead on Friday with another proposal to create jobs — a $60 billion infusion to rebuild aging infrastructure.

The effort was already defeated once by Republicans, when they blocked it as part of a $447 billion job creation plan unveiled last month by President Barack Obama.

By John Crawley

(Reuters) – American Airlines and its pilots resumed contract talks on Wednesday with the company’s chief executive saying achieving the kind of labor-cost reductions management wants to nail down will not be easy.

Negotiations between management and the Allied Pilots Association resumed with far less fanfare than last week’s round of talks, which began with optimism the two sides might only need days to finally reach a deal after five years of bargaining.

By John Crawley and Kyle Peterson

(Reuters) – American Airlines and its pilots made “significant progress” in contract talks that recessed on Monday, but investors were disappointed they did not reach a deal over the weekend and hammered shares of the carrier’s parent, AMR Corp (AMR.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).

The Allied Pilots Association and the No 3 airline left their remote, North Texas negotiating site in the early afternoon to return to Dallas/Fort Worth to strategize for the next round of bargaining.

WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (Reuters) – A sour economy and the
approaching 2012 U.S. elections could prompt lawmakers to
strike a deal on infrastructure spending by year’s end,
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said on Thursday.

“It has to be done now,” LaHood told Reuters on the
sidelines of a National Press Club speech on transportation
priorities.

WASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) – The Obama administration on
Wednesday pledged transparency in setting standards to boost
auto fuel efficiency and cut tailpipe emissions, countering
claims that a landmark agreement securing automaker support for
its environmental initiative was secretive.

The agreement reached in July is the foundation of a
planned rule requiring that new cars sold in the United States
nearly double average fuel efficiency by 2025 to 54.5 miles per
gallon. The administration said the formal regulation was a
work in progress and would provide opportunity for outside
input.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A proposal by US Airways and Delta Air Lines to swap a large number of slots at New York and Washington airports hit a snag on Tuesday with U.S. antitrust officials raising questions about the deal’s impact on competition.

The unexpected Justice Department development follows conditional approval of the proposal in July by transportation regulators, whose initial concerns prompted changes aimed at boosting competition at the two airports where access is government controlled due to congestion.

By Kyle Peterson and John Crawley

(Reuters) – Troubles at American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp (AMR.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), could bring the airline closer to a merger with US Airways (LCC.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), especially if American opts to restructure in bankruptcy someday, experts say.

Although most analysts do not expect the third-largest U.S. carrier to restructure in court, some said a speedy, prepackaged bankruptcy could slash AMR’s labor costs and position it for consolidation, even if that is not the carrier’s intention.