Following up on a blog post I wrote for the Columbia Business Times, the U.S. House voted today to infuse $2 billion into the so-called “Cash for Clunkers” program.
The program – which offers government rebates to consumers who trade in old cars or trucks – quickly ran out of money after just a few days of existence. That spurred Congress into pumping in more money to keep the program afloat.
The legislation passed today would shift money already allocated in the federal stimulus package to the rebate program. It still needs the approval of the U.S. Senate.
U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth, voted today against extending the program. Luetkemeyer spokesman Paul Sloca said that the first-term congressman voted against authorizing the program in the first place.
“Like many folks, Blaine was disturbed that this program blew through $1 billion in hard-earned taxpayer dollars in just one week and that the problem was revealed only 24 hours ago,” Sloca said in an e-mail. “If this is how the government handles taxpayer dollars on a program like this, you have to wonder how government is going to deal with something like health care.”
The bill passed 316-109.
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