DeLauro Hails Extension of “Cash for Clunkers” Program

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) expressed her support for stop-gap funding for the "Cash for Clunkers" program by allowing the Administration to transfer up to $2 billion from the Department of Energy's Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program, which does not expect to award funding until late next year. The program allows consumers to trade in their old, gas-guzzling vehicles and receive vouchers worth up to $4,500 to help pay for new, more fuel efficient cars and trucks.

While Congress provided $1 billion in the supplemental appropriations bill for the program – enough for about 250,000 sales – since the program began on Monday 27 July, it has already officially received 40,000 requests for reimbursement (approximately $160 million in rebates), with estimates of at least another 200,000 deals having been completed but not yet officially submitted.

"Extending the "Cash for Clunkers" program is only commonsense," said DeLauro. "Within days, the "Cash for Clunkers" program has proven to be wildly popular and clearly extremely successful. It has spurred the purchase of more fuel efficient vehicles, which means Americans will pay less at the gas pump, and it is helping to boost sales of our domestic auto and related industries. As a result we will help strengthen our economy, while helping our environment."