The U.S. House of Representatives voted Friday to spend an
additional $2 billion on the program. The Senate vote has not been
scheduled.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, announced earlier
that lawmakers were working with the White House to provide the program
with more money to continue and expand it.
Under the plan,
people can receive $3,500 to $4,500 toward a new vehicle when they
trade in vehicles with poor gas mileage for more fuel-efficient new
models.
Media reports Thursday evening suggested that the $1 billion
program had been abruptly suspended because the initial funding was
being exhausted more quickly than expected as consumers rushed to trade
in vehicles.
But Gibbs said Friday that the administration has
kept the program going and that it will be in place for anyone who had
been planning to make a car purchase this weekend.
"This program appears to be a success for car buyers, car dealers, car
companies and taxpayers," Gibbs said. It has the added value of helping
the environment by getting less fuel-efficient cars off the roads, he
added.
"We feel confident that we will have a solution people can agree on and the program continues," he said.
Gibbs said that the program has been "extremely popular" and that an
estimated 20,000 certificates for vehicle swaps are waiting to be
processed, a backlog that alarmed some government officials into
thinking the money will be tapped out shortly.
A person who posted a comment on iReport.com said the program helped him get into a new Ford Escape.
"I didn't buy a car to show patriotism, I bought a car because I needed
a vehicle for work that I could drive long distances to perform work at
various customers' facilities; a '94 Jeep Wrangler doesn't fit that
bill," iReporter Ryan165 wrote.
"With current available incentives
I felt it was a great opportunity to buy new, which I think everyone
can agree consequently plays a small part in helping automakers stay
afloat and pull the economy out of the current recession," he wrote.
Another iReporter, who goes by the name Jayberdz, said the program is ill-conceived.
"It doesn't address the worst cars and trucks out there," Jayberdz
posted. "The people who own the worst are not in a position to buy new
cars or trucks. The original bill would have allowed the purchase of
used cars and would have addressed the environmental issue far better."
Comments (0)
Tell friend
Print
