Cash for clunkers apparently faces a rocky road in the Senate:
New money for the so-called "cash for clunkers" program easily passed the House Friday, but the proposal faces a challenge from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who has pledged to block the measure.
McCain said he would filibuster the bill, expected to be considered by the Senate next week, that would redirect $2 billion in energy loans for auto companies into the program.
McCain will lead what could be a bipartisan effort to block the bill. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) used her Twitter page Friday to say she would oppose more funding.
I saw McCaskill Tweeting about that the other day. This is the one that caught my eye:
We put a billion $$ in cash for clunker program.That's 250,000 cars. We weren't sure how long it would last,but a billion of your $ is alot.
Now, I may not be totally up to speed on the mechanisms that make this program work (apparently a little too well), but doesn't it essentially pay for rebates to consumers who trade in inefficient vehicles for more efficient ones?
So aren't we then putting "a billion $$" into a program that... puts that "billion $$" back into the pockets of American taxpayers? What's the difference between this and a tax credit, which Republicans can't seem to get enough of?
What's the problem here? Does this not put money in the pockets of hardworking American taxpayers, yadda, yadda, yadda?
Granted, it doesn't necessarily go to the most deserving, or to those who conservatives would tell you can make the most productive use of it (i.e, themselves or their biggest donors). But it goes to people, nonetheless. Us. The ones who kicked in the "billion $$" in the first place.
Between that and the fact that additional funding for the program passed the House yesterday by a vote of 316-109, with 77 Republicans voting in favor and just 14 Dems against, I should think that's quite enough political cover for McCaskill.
Then again, where would you put McCaskill politically, within the range of Democrats who opposed this bill?
Baird
Blumenauer
Boyd
Doggett
Giffords
Herseth Sandlin
Kirkpatrick
Marshall
Mitchell
Murphy (NY)
Peterson
Polis
Schrader
Tierney
Anything's possible, based on that list. But seriously, I'd love to know more about McCaskill's objection to sending billions in taxpayer dollars... back to taxpayers.
Her current thinking, so far as her Twitter page can reflect it, is this:
No NEW spending for cash for clunkrs. May support if it is $ already appropriated for stimulus.Want to see #s &how they're gonna cut it off.
The bill passed by the House reads this way (with emphasis added):
For an additional amount for `Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Program' to carry out the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Program established by the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009 (title XIII of Public Law 111-32), not to exceed $2,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2010: Provided, That such amount shall be available for such purpose only to the extent directed by the President, and shall be derived by transfer from the amount made available for `Department of Energy--Energy Programs--Title 17--Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program' in title IV of division A of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)
So that looks to me like this isn't new money, but a transfer of money already appropriated (with McCaskill's vote) in the stimulus bill.
Meanwhile, you have guys like Jim DeMint (R-SC) insisting the program's stupid and needs to die:
"The role of the federal government is not to run the used-car business," Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said on "Fox News Sunday." "I just think this is a great example of the stupidity coming out of Washington right now."
I just don't ever recall DeMint saying the federal government had no role in "running" whatever other industry benefited from targeted tax breaks before. The bottom line, it seems to me, is that this program takes taxpayer money and sends it back to taxpayers who agree to help improve fuel efficiency, stimulate the economy by purchasing durable goods, and help the auto industry with their private dollars, leveraged by a rebate they helped pay for themselves.
In other words, it's all the things Republicans usually say they love. Public/private partnership. Leveraging private dollars. Incentivizing those with money to inject it back into the economy. Returning taxpayer dollars to those who paid them out.
It's even pretty well targeted to the GOP's favorite kind of people: the folks who can afford to buy a new car, even during a recession. Those hard-working, thrifty Americans who know the value of a dollar and know how to get a good bargain. I never knew Republicans thought the upper middle class were the new Welfare Queens. But apparently they do.
Oh, or else they could be completely f@#*ing bonkers.