‘Clunkers’ bill faces opposition in Senate

Posted on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 1:50 PM EDT.

New obstacles emerged Tuesday to a “cash for clunkers” program to spur new-car sales, even as the House narrowly approved legislation including the proposal, The Detroit News reported.

The House passed a $106 billion wartime spending bill including the idea, long sought by the auto industry as a remedy for anemic new-car sales, with Democrats joined by only five Republicans, including Michigan Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township, the News said. Miller was an ardent supporter of “cash for clunkers” language included in the bill. But she said that was “a very, very secondary consideration,” the story said.

Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., said he would invoke a Senate rule to try to strip the “cash for clunkers” language from the bill, the paper said. “Taxpayers already have provided around $85 billion in direct assistance to the auto industry, and it’s about time we stop these deficit-spending handouts that pass the bill to our children and grandchildren,” Gregg said in a written statement, the story said. (The Detroit News)

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