Representative Sutton Speaks in Support of the CARS Act

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of over 2,000 men and women who work in the Ohio Assembly Plant in my district and the approximate 50,000 Ohioans whose jobs are associated with that plant. I rise for the 159,000 Ohioans with auto-related jobs, and the three to five million Americans who rely on the auto industry to provide for their families.

I rise today on behalf of the environment as we turn the corner to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve fuel economy and to help reduce our reliance on foreign oil.

I rise today on behalf of consumers throughout our great country who continue to struggle during this global recession.

And I rise today as the proud sponsor of the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act, also known as the CARS Act.

I want to thank President Obama for his support of this legislation.

And I want to thank Speaker Pelosi for supporting this effort, and thank Majority Leader Hoyer for all of the help that he has provided, as we work to deliver the benefits of this bill to the American people.

I want to thank Chairman Waxman, Chairman Markey, Chairman Emeritus Dingell, and Representatives Israel, Inslee, Stupak and Upton for their collaboration and support on this bill.

And thank you to my colleagues, Rep. Candice Miller and Rep. Bruce Braley, who started this process with me back in March.

Mr. Speaker, the bipartisan CARS Act will shore up millions of jobs and stimulate local economies.

It will improve our environment and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

It will provide much-needed financial assistance to consumers to trade in less fuel efficient vehicles for vehicles which achieve a measured, increased fuel economy.

What the CARS Act will not do is allow someone to trade in a vehicle and receive a voucher to purchase a vehicle that is fuel economy.

We have ensured environmental integrity in this bill.

And this bill demonstrates that we do not have to bind ourselves to the arguments of the past.

We no longer have to give into the temptation of either-or thinking. The CARS Act demonstrates that we can free ourselves from the false argument of either you are for the environment or you are for jobs.

We can do both. We must do both.

That's exactly what the CARS Act does.

2009 auto sales are down nearly 42 percent below the 2005 peak.

We have not seen such a decline since 1955, and this decline jeopardizes our country's largest manufacturing industry.

These are not ordinary times. These times call for bold action.

Three to five million jobs are at risk. Auto-related jobs number in the thousands in every state in our nation.

Though it's called the CARS Act, this bill is about far more than just cars. It's about people. It's about the millions of families in this great nation who depend on the strength of our auto and related industries for their livelihood.

It's about our friends and our neighbors, and it's about our communities that depend on auto related jobs for their tax base to support their schools, their police, fire and other city services.

By passing the CARS Act, we can shore up these jobs, get customers back into the showrooms, help our dealers move cars, and improve the environment.

Nations across the world have instituted incentive programs.

In May, while auto sales in our country fell 34 percent, sales in Germany increased 40 percent after they instituted a program.

On May 19th, the Committee on Energy and Commerce passed an amendment of the CARS Act to the American Clean Energy and Security Act by a bipartisan majority of 50-4.

Under the CARS Act, consumers will trade-in less fuel efficient vehicles and receive an electronic voucher for $3,500 to $4,500 at the point of sale toward the lease or purchase of a vehicle with increased fuel efficiency.

Light-duty trucks, both small and large, also qualify under this program. And work trucks often used by small businesses will be eligible for replacement as well.

And though our fleet modernization program is open to vehicles regardless of where they are made, I encourage everyone who participates in this program to think about the families who depend upon cars made in the United States and ask you to purchase a fuel efficient vehicle assembled right here at home to help shore up jobs and help our environment.

Some refer to this bill as the "Cash for Clunkers" bill.

Others use a gentler term, "fleet modernization." But by any name, by any title, the CARS Act offers significant, multiple benefits.

The bill has earned the broad based support of Ford, GM, Chrysler, the United Auto Workers, the Business Roundtable, the Automotive Trade Policy Council, the Ohio Automobile Dealers Association, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, PPG Industries, National Paint & Coatings Association, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association, Specialty Equipment Market Association, the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, the American Iron and Steel Institute, Automotive Recyclers Association, the United Steelworkers, the National Automobile Dealers Association, the American International Automobile Dealers, the National Association of Manufacturers, the AFL-CIO and the United States Chamber of Commerce.

These groups have provided letters of support for this bill and Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that they be included in the record.

Mr. Speaker, we must pass the bipartisan CARS Act today...for our workers, for our environment, for consumers, for our economy, for our country. I thank you, and I reserve the balance of my time.