quickest ways to end a recession is to sell more automobiles. new car sales constitute a major percentage of our nation's consumer spending. increasing vehicle sales also stimulates the demand of raw goods from which automobiles are manufactured. production of glass, steel, plastics and other primary materials will be increased as more new cars are sold, creating jobs throughout the country. many other nations have acted to strengthen their economies with policies to design and to sell more automobiles and the u.s. should not be left behind. members of the house have expressed their desire to support auto dealers in their states. there is no better way to help car dealers going forward than to pass this important legislation. we must pass the cars act today to create a recovery not just for the auto industry but for the entire country. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlewoman from ohio. ms. sutton: it's my privilege to yield two minutes to the distinguished gentleman from michigan, mr. levin. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized for two minutes. mr. levin: i ask permission to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. levin: i thank mr. upton, i think i'm using two of your minutes. we know there's a major restructuring of the auto industry going on as we're here today. there are a very simple truth. if there's not increased demand, that restructuring cannot succeed. i think only rigid ideologues would say it's impossible to stimulate demand. there's been a historic drop in demand for vehicles in this country.

it's about one half of what it was not so long ago. and it remains true globally. this is not only a national phenomenon, it's a global phenomenon. other countries have acted and i salute representative sutton and all who have worked on this to step up to the plate for the basic manufacturing base of the united states of america and i yield back some of the time you graciously yielded to betty sutton so i could speak. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentlewoman from ohio is recognized. ms. sutton: thank you, madam speaker. at this point it's my privilege to yield two minutes to the distinguished gentleman from washington, representative jay inslee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from washington is recognized for two minutes. mr. inslee: i request

permission to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. the gentleman is recognized. mr. inslee: i want to point out we know this is going to help the auto industry, but i want to point out how it's going to affect con so -- consumers. consumers will save 100,000 gallons of gas a year because of the fuel efficiency of the car. that's $250 -- 250 million gallons of gasoline we otherwise will not be burning. the reason i point this out is there is a benefit to the environment in our efforts to stop global warming in this bill. mr. israel and myself had earlier introduced a piece generally in the same direction heading with the leadership of betty sutton and bart stupak. some argued that the efficiency

provisions of this bill are not aggressive enough. the bill i introduced and mr. israel did had more aggressive targets. but i want to point out one of the most singular achievements of this bill. if we are going to stop global warming, we have to come together across the country. folks in the steel industry are going to have to work with people on oh the coast. people in the midwest in the rust belt states mood to work with folks in the san francisco bay region. congress means coming together. this bill i think represents a perfect example of how our nation needs to come together to tackle the many challenges we have in dealing with global warming. when we pass this bill today, it will be one step, one brick in the wall of that effort for a true clean energy revolution in america where we can all be proud of across the country. congratulations. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman's time has expired. the gentlewoman from ohio is recognized to yield time. ms. sutton: thank you, madam speaker. at this point, i am the last remaining speaker on this side, i would inquire of the gentleman if he has any speakers. mr. upton: i don't. i'm prepared to close on our side and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the dealt's -- the gentleman's time has expired. mr. upton: no, i plan to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. upton: it's time to get america moving again and that's what this bill does. the auto sector is so important to our country and virtually even single community. doesn't have to just be a community that has an assembly line. it's the communities that build parts, whether it's a gas cap or part or brake or side panel or piece of trim or a window.

auto dealers are in virtually every commaint cross the country and they average about 50 employees per dealership. so this bill impacts every single community across america. no one here today has talked about what this bill also does. we will rely less on foreign oil because the average consumer, by taking advantage of this program, will save $780 in fuel costs because they're going to trade in that old car and have a more fuel efficient, better emission vehicle than they had before. $780 per household. for those that take advantage of it. we have fraud and abuse provisions in here so it won't be taken advantage of and to my good friend mr. flake, yes, there is a sunset. this program doesn't go on forever. there is a sunset. it's a temporary band-aid to

fix an economic problem that needs america's attention. isn't it better, isn't it better to have people work and have a job and pay taxes than having them laid off and receive benefits? i think most americans would rather have that job. they want to pay the taxes. this is a bill that helps america and that's one of the reasons why it passed in our committee 50 to four. i would urge all my colleagues to support this and sadly because of the procedure, it does have to pass tonight by a 2/3 vote rather than a majority. i'd like to think we can exceed that 2/3 and pass it. with that, madam speaker, i yield back the balance of the time on our side. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the chair will receive a message. the messenger: madam speaker, a message from the president of the united states. the secretary: madam speaker.

the speaker pro tempore: madam secretary. the secretary: i'm directed by the president of the united states to deliver to the house of representatives a message in writing. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from ohio is recognized. ms. sutton: thank you, madam speaker. can i inquire how much time i have remaining? the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from ohio controls 4 1/2 minutes. ms. sutton: thank you, madam speaker. we've heard overwhelming support for the cars act on the floor today and from across the country throughout this process. i want to thank first of all the gentleman from michigan for what a fantastic job he's done in moving this bill on the floor this afternoon and for all of the work he put into making it a success. i also want to thank all of those, many of whom we heard from today on the floor, for all of their help and support in getting this innovative measure to the floor and on the way to the beneficial effects

for the american people. i also want to thank all of the staff who worked on this bill and bringing it together. my staff, nicole francis ronalds and christine corcoran, as well as the staff on the energy and commerce and others, representative dingell's staff. it has been a truly collaborative process and we have a good result. we've heard about how this bill will improve our environment. serve as an economic stimulus, and shore up the three million to five million jobs in the auto and related industries. close to home in my district, the akron area auto dealers association put it this way -- providing stimulus to stimulate sales is necessary for the industry and this represents an opportunity to promote the industry and the environment.

another organization stated passage of this important legislation will not only help the consumer and public by putting carring on the road that run cleaner and maintain better fuel efficiency but will provide assistance by boosting car sales to the struggling auto industry in america. and the united steelworkers who represent hundreds of thousands of workers in jobs supplying the auto industry summed it up like this -- quote, from the glass to the tires to the plastic to the hundreds of pounds of metal that comprise every vehicle, steelworkers manufacture these products in locations across the country. even the paper, the catalogs, the brochures the automakers use to promote their vehicles are often the product of the work of steelworkers. but countless other citizens, union and nonunion, such as auto dealers, accountants, restaurant and shop owners have their jobs tied to the auto industry, end quote. governors from 12 states,

including governor strickland from ohio, the governors of michigan, colorado, delaware, illinois, kansas, kentucky, new hampshire, oklahoma, verment, west virginia, and wisconsin all support this effort today. it's time to act, madam speaker. it's time to pass the cars act and i urge a yes vote on the bill. madam speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from ohio yields back the balance of her time. all time for debate having expired, the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2751? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the luols