Today Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid signaled that the Senate will vote on whether to extend the Cash for Clunkers program before the summer recess this Friday. Cash for Clunkers pays up to $4,500 to Americans who trade in old cars and trucks for new ones with better gas mileage.
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The popular program may end Friday if Congress fails to provide an additional $2 billion. The original program was funded at $1 billion, but ran out because an estimated 250,000 vehicles were already traded in under the original program.
Congressional Republicans, who originally promised to block extending the program, had a change of heart after hearing from both constituents and auto dealers.
People are trading in inefficient cars for vehicles with better gas mileage, and jump starting the stagnant auto industry, yet Conservatives hate it. They may hate government programs that don’t work, but they truly despise government programs that do.
1 response so far ↓
1 Joe Pitkin // Aug 6, 2009 at 9:07 am
The one critique that made some sense to me is that the Cash for Clunkers program doesn’t go far enough–someone could turn in an 18mpg car that’s running reasonably well and trade it in for a slightly more efficient car (what’s the limit? 30mpg?), when there are 50 mpg vehicles available. Having said that, we may try to cash in on this ourselves with our ailing ‘93 Dodge Caravan…
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