House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and other lawmakers are pressing the Bush administration to postpone a tough new anti-pollution standard for long-haul diesel trucks on behalf of a major Illinois truck manufacturer that is facing stiff penalties because it can't meet the deadline for compliance, according to the Washington Post. The rule is intended to sharply reduce health-threatening nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel engines, and the controversy pits a powerful coalition of mostly House Republicans, manufacturers and the trucking industry against an administration that has been criticized for being too sympathetic to industry concerns, according to the Post. Hastert was drawn into the dispute by Caterpillar Inc. of Peoria, Ill., one of the leading manufacturers of 18-wheel diesel tractor-trailers and also a campaign contributor, largely to Republicans. The company could face millions of dollars of penalties because of its inability to meet an Oct. 1 deadline for complying with the new standard, the Post reported.