MADD CEO Chuck Hurley Withdraws From Consideration For NHTSA Post

Our Chicago DUI Lawyers have posted in the past regarding the backlash to President Obama’s pick to run the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Chuck Hurley.

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More Reaction To MADD’S CEO Appointment To NHTSA

Hurley, executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving was seen by many as a controversial selection due to his affiliation with MADD. Now it seems that Mr. Hurley has withdrawn from consideration for the post.

Full story follows below:

Candidate to Run Highway Safety Office Withdraws

By CHRISTOPHER CONKEY and STEPHEN POWER

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama’s pick to run the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration withdrew from consideration on Tuesday.

A White House official confirmed that Charles Hurley, executive director of the Texas-based advocacy group Mothers Against Drunk Driving, had withdrawn from consideration for the auto safety post, but declined to elaborate on why, or say whom the administration would nominate in his stead. Mr. Obama nominated Mr. Hurley in April but the Senate had not moved to confirm him. Mr. Hurley could not be reached for comment, and spokesmen for MADD and NHTSA declined to comment.

Some environmentalists opposed Mr. Hurley’s nomination to run the agency that oversees fuel-mileage standards and auto safety. But it’s unclear whether their criticisms played a role in the decision. As an official with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the 1990s, Mr. Hurley supported the auto industry’s arguments against raising fuel-mileage requirements, saying it would result in cars that were smaller and less safe for their occupants.

Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Campaign, a Washington-based group that advocates higher fuel-economy standards, said Mr. Hurley’s exit gives the administration “the opportunity to appoint someone who is committed to both safety and the fuel economy program that NHTSA runs.”

Mr. Hurley’s withdrawal means NHTSA will be operating without a permanent leader as it tackles the complicated and politically thorny issue of how high to raise fuel-mileage standards for passenger cars and trucks starting in 2012. The agency, which is part of the Transportation Department, must also figure out how to square its mileage standards with efforts by Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency to cap emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

Automakers are pushing for a single, national standard that blends the related goals of raising fuel-mileage standards and curbing greenhouse-gas emissions. Many environmentalists are urging the administration to grant a waiver to California so it can set its own, potentially stricter requirements.

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