[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 140 (Monday, September 28, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H6269-H6271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            FEDERAL VEHICLE REPAIR COST SAVINGS ACT OF 2015

  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 565) to reduce the operation and maintenance costs associated 
with the Federal fleet by encouraging the use of remanufactured parts, 
and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 565

       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 ``Federal Vehicle Repair Cost 
     Savings Act of 2015''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that, in March 2013, the Government 
     Accountability Office issued a report that confirmed that--
       (1) there are approximately 588,000 vehicles in the 
     civilian Federal fleet;
       (2) Federal agencies spent approximately $975,000,000 on 
     repair and maintenance of the Federal fleet in 2011;
       (3) remanufactured vehicle components, such as engines, 
     starters, alternators, steering racks, and clutches, tend to 
     be less expensive than comparable new replacement parts; and
       (4) the United States Postal Service and the Department of 
     the Interior both informed the Government Accountability 
     Office that the respective agencies rely on the use of 
     remanufactured vehicle components to reduce costs.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act--

[[Page H6270]]

       (1) the term ``Federal agency'' has the meaning given that 
     term in section 102 of title 40, United States Code; and
       (2) the term ``remanufactured vehicle component'' means a 
     vehicle component (including an engine, transmission, 
     alternator, starter, turbocharger, steering, or suspension 
     component) that has been returned to same-as-new, or better, 
     condition and performance by a standardized industrial 
     process that incorporates technical specifications (including 
     engineering, quality, and testing standards) to yield fully 
     warranted products.

     SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT TO USE REMANUFACTURED VEHICLE COMPONENTS.

       The head of each Federal agency--
       (1) shall encourage the use of remanufactured vehicle 
     components to maintain Federal vehicles, if using such 
     components reduces the cost of maintaining the Federal 
     vehicles while maintaining quality; and
       (2) shall not encourage the use of remanufactured vehicle 
     components to maintain Federal vehicles, if using such 
     components--
       (A) does not reduce the cost of maintaining Federal 
     vehicles;
       (B) lowers the quality of vehicle performance, as 
     determined by the employee of the Federal agency responsible 
     for the repair decision; or
       (C) delays the return to service of a vehicle.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Walberg) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of S. 565, the Federal Vehicle Repair Cost 
Savings Act of 2015. This bill is a bipartisan and bicameral effort 
designed to reduce the costs of maintenance for the Federal vehicle 
fleet.
  The Federal Vehicle Repair Cost Savings Act encourages agencies to 
use remanufactured vehicle components when doing so will reduce 
maintenance costs while also maintain quality.
  The term ``remanufactured vehicle components'' refers to components 
that have been returned to same-as-new or better condition and 
performance by a standardized industrial process that incorporates 
technical specifications.
  In 2013, a Government Accountability Office report found that 
remanufactured vehicle components, such as engines, starters, 
alternators, steering racks, and clutches, tend to be less expensive 
than comparable new parts.
  In fact, a 2012 study by the U.S. International Trade Commission 
found that remanufacturing parts can result in savings of 85 percent of 
the energy and material used to manufacture equivalent new parts. 
Further, this study found that remanufactured parts are, on average, 20 
to 50 percent less expensive.
  Requiring agency heads under this bill to encourage their Federal 
vehicle maintenance staff to use remanufactured components will reduce 
maintenance costs, which totaled $975 million in 2011, for 588,000 
vehicles.
  This bill is also supported by the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers 
Association, which directly employs over 734,000 people in U.S. 
manufacturing jobs.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congressmen Huizenga and Ashford for 
their work on the House companion bill. I also want to thank Senators 
Peters and Lankford for their work on this legislation.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan cost savings 
legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of S. 565, the Federal Vehicle Repair Cost Savings 
Act, introduced by Senator Peters of Michigan.
  I would also like to recognize Representative Bill Huizenga of 
Michigan for his good work on this legislation.
  S. 565 passed the United States Senate by unanimous consent last 
month. With today's House passage, it can go straight to the 
President's desk for his signature.
  The Federal Vehicle Repair Cost Savings Act would require the head of 
each Federal agency to encourage the use of remanufactured vehicle 
components if doing so would reduce costs while maintaining high 
quality. The intent behind this bill is to raise awareness of the 
option of using remanufactured parts and inform agency fleet managers 
of this cost-saving option.
  I would note that the bill encourages the heads of Federal agencies 
to use remanufactured parts, but the decision ultimately to do so would 
remain at the discretion of fleet managers.
  According to a March 2013 Government Accountability Office report, 
Federal agencies spent about $1 billion on vehicle repair and 
maintenance in 2011. The report also found that remanufactured vehicle 
components tend to be much less expensive. For example, the Postal 
Service and the Department of Interior informed GAO that they rely on 
remanufactured vehicle components to reduce costs.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense piece of legislation that seeks to 
save taxpayer dollars and better ensure that the Federal Government is 
purchasing high-quality products.
  I urge Members on both sides of the aisle to vote for this bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga), my good friend and colleague.
  Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Oversight and Government 
Reform Committee, especially my friend, Chairman Chaffetz, and my 
friend, Mr. Walberg, here from Michigan, as well as Ranking Member 
Cummings, for bringing this bipartisan, bicameral bill to the floor to 
save taxpayer dollars and create jobs.
  I often hear, like most of us do, from our constituents: Why can't 
Congress work together and get something done and eliminate wasteful 
spending and create jobs? Well, we have got it, folks. Here we go.
  With the Federal Vehicle Repair Cost Savings Act, I teamed up with 
Senator Gary Peters, also of Michigan. We are going to save literally 
millions of taxpayer dollars by reducing spending on Federal vehicle 
maintenance and create good manufacturing jobs.
  Our commonsense bill calls on Federal agencies to use remanufactured 
components to repair and maintain the Federal vehicle fleet when using 
those parts would lower costs, achieve higher safety standards, and 
maintain quality and performance.
  Remanufactured parts are less expensive than brand-new parts and have 
been returned to same-as-new condition. I know this from firsthand 
experience, owning a small sand and gravel operation where we 
oftentimes use remanufactured parts on our own trucks. The component 
may be an engine, may be a transmission, may be a drivetrain, may be a 
rear end or an alternator. Each of those repairs presents an 
opportunity to be more fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars.
  In 2013, a GAO report found that the Federal Government owns a fleet 
of approximately 588,000 vehicles. The cost of maintaining that fleet 
has ballooned to nearly $1 billion.
  While it is clear there needs to be a fleet of these Federal vehicles 
to have access to a reliable motor pool, it is important that these 
vehicles be maintained efficiently and effectively to ensure that those 
tax dollars--our precious tax dollars--are used in the most effective 
way possible.
  In addition to eliminating wasteful spending, this legislation serves 
as an important boost to good-paying jobs and remanufacturing 
suppliers.
  According to the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, 
remanufacturing of motor vehicle parts is responsible for over 30,000 
full-time jobs across the United States. For example, in my district, 
Valley Truck Parts, headquartered in Wyoming, employs 250 Michiganders. 
In Kentwood, Michigan, North America Fuel Systems Remanufacturing 
employs more than 150 people.
  These companies, among so many others across Michigan and so many 
other States, demonstrate how remanufacturing supports good-paying 
middle class jobs in States like Michigan and Ohio and North Carolina 
and Pennsylvania and so many others. It is

[[Page H6271]]

going to play an expanded role, I believe, in making this Federal 
Government even more efficient.
  I encourage my colleagues to join us in this effort to save millions 
of taxpayer dollars, support good jobs, and make the Federal Government 
run more efficiently.
  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  In closing, having heard the comments on this, I urge the adoption of 
this commonsense bill that encourages also us doing an environmental 
thing as well in using resources that we have.
  I ask that my colleagues support this commonsense bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 565.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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