LANSING – All 17 members of Michigan’s congressional delegation have signed a letter to President Bush urging him to address issues they contend are critical to the success of the nation’s auto industry ? and by extension, Michigan’s economy.
Praising the meeting Mr. Bush held last week with the chief executives of General Motors, Ford Motor Company and DaimlerChrysler, the delegation said they hoped it would become the “beginning of an ongoing dialogue on the federal issues of importance to this vital sector of the American economy.”
And the letter said, “We do not want, nor does the domestic automobile industry need, a bailout.”
The letter also emphasized that the auto industry is not “asking for favorable treatment” in international markets, but urged Bush to seek agreement with Japan, China and Korea to end what they charged was currency manipulation that makes American-made cars more expensive. They also called for the United States to negotiate an end to tariff barriers to selling cars in Korea as part of the Korean Free Trade Agreement now being negotiated.
The delegation also called for action to help control healthcare costs, which the automakers complain add thousands to the price of each new car. The delegation did not call for major changes to the nation’s health care insurance system, but did call for the U.S. to boost investment in health information technology and increase the use of generic drugs.
The letter also called for the U.S. to find ways to deal with the cost of catastrophic health care claims that often make up the bulk of health care claims.
Finally, the letter also calls for more vigorous action to provide an infrastructure for the use of alternative fuels as well as the promotion of greater use of renewable sources of fuel.
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