U.S. Motor Vehicle Industry: Federal Financial Assistance and Restructuring, January 30, 2009

摘要

On December 19, 2008, President George W. Bush provided financial assistance to General Motors (GM) and Chrysler. These two automakers had testified before Congress that if they did not receive federal financial assistance before the end of the year, they could be forced into bankruptcy. After Congress did not provide the assistance requested, the Treasury Department agreed to provide a total of $13.4 billion to GM and $4 billion to Chrysler from the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), established by the Emergency Economic Stabilization and Recovery Act (EESA, P.L. 110-343). Ford, the third member of the Detroit 3, testified that it did not need such assistance immediately, though it has said that it could potentially require a line of credit in 2009. The Bush Administration also loaned a further $6 billion under the TARP for General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC), and $1.5 billion for Chrysler Financial, the two manufacturers respective credit affiliates. The Detroit 3 have been affected by a long-term decline in their U.S. motor vehicle sales market share, plus the impact of a general decline in U.S. motor vehicle sales in 2008 resulting from a severe constriction of credit related to problems in U.S. and global financial markets. The rise in gasoline prices in mid-2008 caused a sales decline and a structural shift in motor vehicle consumption patterns. Motor vehicle purchases fell substantially in late 2008 despite the subsequent decline in gasoline prices. A bill to provide up to $25 billion in direct loans from the TARP to auto companies (S. 3688) was introduced in November 2008 by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. The Bush Administration instead proposed to make general-purpose loans from a program for advanced technology vehicle production set up under Section 136 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA, P.L. 110-140). This bill had become law in December 2007, and was funded under P.L. 110-329. In December 2008, Representative Barney Frank introduced H.R. 7321, which would have allowed most of the EISA loan funding to be used to support bridge loans. This bill was supported by the Democratic leadership of both houses, and the Bush Administration. It passed the House on December 10 by 237-170. The bill was opposed by the Republican leadership in both bodies. Efforts to invoke cloture in the Senate in an attempt to pass the bill failed. President Bush then provided loans for GM and Chrysler from the TARP, subject to a number of oversight conditions. Eligible companies are to establish an approved restructuring plan by March 31, 2009. They are to target debt reduction through conversion of bonded indebtedness and debt owed for retiree health care to corporate equity. This report analyzes the financial solution provisions, including bankruptcies as an alternative, and the impact of the loan provisions on pensions, voluntary employees beneficiary associations (VEBAs), protection of taxpayers investment, labor contracts, and executive compensation. Hourly workers are required under the plan to accept contract changes designed to make the companies workforces more competitive with those of Japanese-owned auto manufacturers in the United States. The United Auto Workers union (UAW) and some Members of Congress have criticized the workforce contract targets as unfair, and may seek to change them under the new Obama Administration.