[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1870 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1870

 To strengthen the competitiveness of the United States motor vehicle 
sector by creating a Motor Vehicle Industry Competitiveness Commission.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 27, 1993

Mr. Levin introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to 
the Committees on Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, Foreign Affairs, 
                           and the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To strengthen the competitiveness of the United States motor vehicle 
sector by creating a Motor Vehicle Industry Competitiveness Commission.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Motor Vehicle Industry 
Competitiveness Act''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) A strong United States motor vehicle sector is critical 
        to our international competitiveness and to the health of our 
        industrial base.
            (2) The United States motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts 
        industries directly employ 1,200,000 workers in high-paying 
        jobs, and indirectly support another million jobs in supplier 
        industries.
            (3) The United States motor vehicle industry accounts for 
        4.5 percent of the Gross National Product, 77 percent of the 
        total consumption of the natural rubber industry, 67 percent of 
        the lead industry, 40 percent of the machine tool industry, 25 
        percent of the glass industry, 20 percent of the semiconductor 
        industry, 18 percent of the aluminum industry, and 12 percent 
        of the steel industry. The United States motor vehicle industry 
        also accounts for 12.4 percent of all corporate research and 
        development.
            (4) United States motor vehicle makers have experienced 
        serious financial difficulty over the past several years, with 
        the Big Three losing $8,000,000,000 in 1991 alone. Hundreds of 
        United States motor vehicle parts companies have gone out of 
        business in the last several years, and tens of thousands of 
        United States motor vehicle parts workers have lost their jobs.
            (5) The problems facing the United States motor vehicle 
        sector are reflected in the trade deficit of that sector with 
        Japan, which exceeded $30,000,000,000 in 1991 and accounted for 
        almost half of the entire United States world trade deficit.
            (6) Despite years of negotiations through the MOSS process, 
        United States motor vehicle parts companies have been excluded 
        from the Japanese market, where they account for less than 1 
        percent of all sales. This trade imbalance, which has been 
        caused in part by Japanese structural barriers such as 
        keiretsu, poses a threat to the health of the United States 
        motor vehicle parts industry, as well as to the many United 
        States industries that supply the motor vehicle parts industry.
            (7) High health care costs have a significant impact of the 
        competitiveness of United States motor vehicle makers. The Big 
        Three must pass along to consumers as much as $700 more per car 
        in health care costs than Japanese companies.
            (8) Worldwide excess capacity in the motor vehicle industry 
        of several million units has put further pressure on the United 
        States market and the United States motor vehicle industry.
            (9) Clear, broad-based government economic, trade, health 
        and United States tax policies are needed to improve the 
        competitiveness of the United States motor vehicle sector and 
        to stem further job losses in these industries.

SEC. 3. MOTOR VEHICLE INDUSTRY COMPETITIVENESS COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the Motor Vehicle Industry 
Competitiveness Commission (hereinafter in this section referred to as 
the ``Commission'').
    (b) Functions.--
            (1) Investigation and study.--The Commission shall make a 
        complete investigation and study of the financial condition of 
        the domestic motor vehicle sector, including the laws, 
        regulations, and foreign trade barriers that pose impediments 
        to its competitiveness.
            (2) Policy recommendations.--Based on the results of the 
        investigation and study required to be conducted under 
        paragraph (1), the Commission shall recommend to the President 
        and Congress those policies that need to be adopted to--
                    (A) achieve the national goal of a strong and 
                competitive motor vehicle sector;
                    (B) facilitate the sales of United States-made 
                motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts by improving 
                competitiveness at home and opening markets abroad;
                    (C) reduce the motor vehicle sector trade deficit 
                with foreign countries, particularly Japan;
                    (D) implement an industry-wide health care plan 
                that helps relieve the burden of excessive health care 
                costs on the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts 
                industries; and
                    (E) promote job growth in the motor vehicle sector.
            (3) Specific issues.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the 
        Commission shall specifically investigate and study the 
        following:
                    (A) The current financial condition of the motor 
                vehicle industry and how the industry's financial 
                condition is likely to change over the next 5 years, 
                including--
                            (i) the profits or losses likely to be 
                        achieved by United States motor vehicle sector 
                        manufacturers (which term, for purposes of this 
                        Act, means motor vehicle manufacturers and 
                        motor vehicle parts manufacturers) over the 
                        next 5 years, and
                            (ii) the market share gains or losses 
                        likely to be achieved by United States motor 
                        vehicle manufacturers in the United States and 
                        key markets abroad over the next 5 years.
                    (B) The foreign barriers to export or foreign 
                investment by United States motor vehicle sector 
                manufacturers, especially in Japan.
                    (C) The extent to which health care costs impede 
                the competitiveness of United States motor vehicle 
                sector manufacturers.
                    (D) The extent to which the United States tax laws 
                impede the competitiveness of United States motor 
                vehicle sector manufacturers.
                    (E) Whether the Federal Government should take any 
                action with respect to United States trade or antitrust 
                laws to open foreign markets to United States motor 
                vehicle products, to open ``transplant'' facilities in 
                the United States to United States motor vehicle parts, 
                or to make the United States motor vehicle sector more 
                competitive.
                    (F) Whether the policies and strategies of the 
                Federal Government have adequately addressed the 
                competitiveness needs of the United States motor 
                vehicle industry.
                    (G) The potential impact of trade agreements or 
                trade negotiations on employment in the United States 
                industry.
                    (H) The impact on the competitiveness of the United 
                States motor vehicle industry of the 1989 Department of 
                the Treasury ruling classifying multipurpose vehicles 
                as cars instead of light trucks.
                    (I) The impact of agreements involving other 
                countries, including the European Community-Japan motor 
                vehicle market-share arrangement, on the 
                competitiveness of the United States motor vehicle 
                industry.
                    (J) Whether the Federal Government should take any 
                legislative or administrative actions to improve the 
                financial conditions of the United States motor vehicle 
                industry.
                    (K) The extent to which the manufacturing programs 
                of the Federal Government, including those at the 
                National Institute of Technology, of the Department of 
                Commerce, can be better utilized to make the United 
                States motor vehicle industry more competitive.
    (c) Membership.--
            (1) Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 15 
        members as follows:
                    (A) 3 members appointed by the President.
                    (B) 3 members appointed by the Speaker of the House 
                of Representatives.
                    (C) 3 members appointed by the majority leader of 
                the Senate.
                    (D) 3 members appointed by the minority leader of 
                the House of Representatives.
                    (E) 3 members appointed by the Senate Republican 
                Leader of the Senate.
            (2) Qualifications.--Appointments under paragraph (1) shall 
        be made from among individuals who are experts in motor vehicle 
        trade and economic policy, including individuals from 
        organizations representing United States motor vehicle sector 
        manufacturers and employees of those manufacturers and from the 
        Federal, State, and local governments.
            (3) Terms.--Members shall be appointed for the life of the 
        Commission.
            (4) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled 
        in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
            (5) Pay.--Members shall serve without pay.
            (6) Chairman.--The Chairman of the commission shall be 
        elected by the members.

SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

    (a) Staff Assistance From Federal Agencies.--Upon request of the 
Commission, the head of any department or agency of the Untied States 
may detail any of the personnel of that department or agency to the 
Commission to assist it in carrying out its functions under this Act.
    (b) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the 
Commission, the Administrator of General Services may provide the 
Commission with the administrative support services necessary for the 
Commission to carry out its functions under this Act.
    (c) Obtaining Official Data.--The Commission may secure directly 
from any department or agency of the United States information (other 
than information required by any statute of the United States to be 
kept confidential by such department or agency) necessary for the 
Commission to carry out its duties under this section. Upon request of 
the Commission, the head of that department or agency shall furnish 
such nonconfidential information to the Commission.
    (d) Report.--Not later than six months after the date on which the 
initial appointment of the members of the Commission is completed, the 
Commission shall transmit to the President and Congress a report on the 
activities of the Commission, including the recommendations required 
under section 3(b)(2).
    (e) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on the one hundred 
and eightieth day following the date of transmittal of the report under 
subsection (d). All records and papers of the Commission shall 
thereupon be delivered by the Administrator of General Services for 
deposit in the National Archives.

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