WASHINGTON (CNN) – With the Senate poised to pass a bill Thursday night expanding the "cash for clunkers" program with an infusion of $2 billion, White House aides say President Obama will quickly sign the bill into law by the end of the week so there's no interruption to the popular incentive this weekend.
"He's going to want to make sure the funds are in place by this weekend," one senior White House official noted because of the particularly brisk weekend business the program has sparked.
There has been concern the program is so popular it will run out of its initial $1 billion in funding if the Senate leaves for recess this week without completing a deal. Several top Republicans, including Sen. John McCain of Arizona, raised concerns about pouring more money into the program at a time when the government is deep in debt.
But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and other top Democrats have been lining up votes for the expansion by making the case that the program is providing a boost to the economy by increasing weak auto sales, while also helping the environment by getting "clunkers" off the road in favor of more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Several Democratic officials told CNN the hurdles have been cleared in order to allow the Senate to pass the bill with new money, which was passed by the House last week, on Thursday night. Reid is expected to bring it up for a vote around 7 pm or 8 pm ET, according to the officials, and then it is expected to be quickly sent to Obama's desk for his signature by the end of the week
From CNN Politics
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That's a very successful program. Nice job Mr. President.
It's only money. We can always print and borrow more with no negatives. Right? Right?
This is a great program
1- helps auto sales
2- keeps jobs
3- good for the enviorment
Good Job President Obama and Democrats the only reason the Republicans are against it is because its WORKING Its stimulas and it wasnt their idea!
A government program that works. I guess republicans just turn a blind eye to these government run programs. I want to see does this get any votes from the right when all of them voted against the stilulus bill. Who's going to fall into the trap?
I can hardly wait. More people to bail out when they can no longer afford these car payments.
I have a clunker that's paid off. She runs just fine and all her dents and dings just give her more character. Why would I trade her in for monthly car payments and higher insurance rates. Just doesn't make sense, that's why I plan on keeping the old gal until her wheels fall off.
Ill-conceived waste of taxpayer money. Not helping the car companies that are on life support with taxpayer money, GM or Chrysler. Mostly Japanese cars being sold. So in essence, I'm assisting my neighbor buy a Lexus that I know he can't afford, and will default on.
Of course it's popular. Anyone with a crappy car can get a free handout from the rich taxpayers to upgrade their ride.
Offer the lowest class a chance to kill the rich and take their money, they'll take it every time.
Bravo America. This is what you voted for.
Good news for America. Bad news for the GOP. They want all to fail.
As to McCain and his gang. Here's their montra.....
"Party Ideology before the good of the Citizenry!"
disgusting.........
I still say the program sucks! Trade in your fossil feul polluting truck for a fossil fuel polluting car. Okay fair enough, the car does get more miles on the gallon, but tell the truth President Obama, this has nothing to do with the eniviroment, this is a way for auto companies to stay in business. Mr. President, you have done some alright things in your first 200 but please, do not insult my intelligence
Where are they getting the money? Oh Ok, borrowed from China, thanks for putting this country more in debt.
Oh Goodie...
....we taxpayers can continue subsidizing Foreign car-makers and then (12-24 months from now) have ANOTHER bail-out for these new car owners who can't make their car payments.
Yeah, the unemployment rate in Japan is dropping like a rock! Good reasoning, Senator Reid.
Well, this should pretty much make the GOPers angry than anything else has so far: the prorgam is a great success and widely recognized as such, so they want nothing more than for it to be terminated.
You know Dennis MIller said it well. You get these people thqt drive a $4500 clunker, tradie it in for a 45,000 vehicle and soon you will see instead of housing crisis, you will be paying for everyone that can't pay the bill on their new cars.
What a waste of money. give me $4500 and let me spend it the way i want to, afterall it is my money you are spending!!!
Thank you President Obama!!!
The success....or failure..... of this program will be evident by the end of the year. My bet is that it will fall flat on its face, and create more problems than it is solving.
I think another $2 billion to extend this program is fine ... but beyond that, I don't think the government should keep paying people to buy new cars – there are better, more worthy programs that could use the money.
It's a great temporary boost for auto dealers, but the program has its problems (nothing is perfect) and the longer it runs, the more apparent the problems will be.
for those of you once again who spew talking points check out the information beforehand; please note that you are not aloowed to buy a $45,000 car and also you must get between 8-10 miles more per gallon to consider the trade a deal and by the way they are still doing credit checks so if someone was on the brink of losing their house I don't believe they will receive a car loan
Of course Repubs wherewere you when bush started an illegitimate war and "flushed" tax dollars down the drain? Why do you guys hate your fellow Americans? Every time the average American wins the republicans cry wolf!!! what a shame the Repubs have become! Cash for clunkers is benefiting Americans theeconomy and the environment and the republicans cry wolf! Jesus could feed turn loves of bread into food for all Americans and the Republicans would still cry wolf!
What is the policy for turning in, say, a neighbor's ugly petrol guzzler? Can I get some clams for that?
Why are we destroying these cars? Should we re-sell them or give them to the poor? This is such a wasteful program.
"Several top Republicans . . . raised concerns about pouring more money into the program at a time when the government is deep in debt."
The federal government spends $3 billion in half a day. it's a drop in the bucket! And THIS $3B will create $18B in economic activity and have a real effect on GDP. The economists are saying this is one of the best stimulus ideas yet. Why can't the Repubs see that?!
OK all you nuts. You are looking at this in a short sided. What are car sales going to be next year when there is no demand. Who is going to bail out the loan companies when many of these loans go into default.
4 out of the top 5 models bought under this program were forign models, more of your tax dollars just went overseas. Scrap yards are loosing money because they can't sell the used parts only turn the cars to scrap metal. This should have been for American made cars only. The program should have been a tax rebate for buying efficient American made cars, not this. This is a bad deal for America.
obamas wife looks like a clunker must have to many miles wrap up on it
Sure, most of the cars being sold are from Japan. And why not? They're more fuel efficient and more reliable than anything coming out of Detroit.
And whose fault is that, I ask?
Also, don't forget that those Honda's and Toyota's are unloaded on our docks by American workers, and transported by American drivers to dealerships owned by Americans. And the mechanics and parts desk employees in those dealerships? All Americans. And all kept gainfully employed. Sounds like a pretty good program to me.
Suck it up, conservatives. You lose again.
Did they remove the restrictions on what qualifies as a clunker? Apparently cars made before 1984 are not clunkers. Also cars that get more than 19mpg are not clunkers.
I hope our elected "leaders" don't apply this type of logic to health care. Can you see it now? No, its not life-threatening if you can live for more than 6 months. That's not really a tumor – it's more like a bump, let's see if it grows. Sorry, your treatment plan is stuck in committee, but we hope to have a bipartisan solution soon.
So cutting taxes for the 2% that get 90% of the income is good, but a stimulus program that's available to EVERYONE is bad. Give me a break. If you want to comment on macro economics, learn something about it other then sound bites that have been thrown around for 30 years. This spending goes right to the GNP, and releases built up daemand. Where would the tax cut go? What well positioned person would spend during these economic times? This is like a direct transfussion.
The claims of Republicans make no sense. They aren't putting "new" money into the program, they are simply redirecting other stimulus money into a program that they know works.
People want to deny the massive success of this program, simply for political reasons. That is so Anti-American, it isn't funny!
WOW! It seems to me that this is a form of a tax rebate which serves multiple purposes. As mentioned previous it keeps jobs, generate sales taxes cities and states desparately need, sales cars, and helps the environment.
By the way, the money is coming from previously allocated funds. This does not add to the deficit.
A bailout is a bailout, nothing more than lost taxpayer money.
Once the addtional $2 billion runs out, car sales will nose dive. Since the government was eager to cough up an additional 2 billion to pay people to buy a new car, everyone will just sit back and wait for the government to fork out even more bribes to buy a new car. Once the goverment starts giving away money, people excpect it to be an entitlement .
I see GOPers try to depict this program as some sort of failure because it was so popular and it ran out of money sooner than expected...that's not failure, that is unexpected success.
Did you want the program to fail?
another argument is that money is going to foreign companies. Toyota has a plant here in TX...like many other foreign auto makers.
Stop hating on success
Soooo glad you mindless progressives don;t mind paying for my new SUV's 30% drop in value when I drove it off the lot..
The government borrows money to give to my neighbor to buy a car that my kids will get taxed to pay for. I assume this program is increasing the cost of used cars available since we are destroying the ones turned in.
This would be a much better program if it involved other options. How about if you trade in you foreign made car (I have a Kia Optima with okay gas mileage), and purchase a U.S. made car from Ford, GM or Chysler, you would also qualify for the $4500.
This way jobs may open in MI where these factories are primarily located. Right now Toyota and Honda as well as Kia as benefitting greatly from this program which doesn't help the U.S.
Just a thought!!!
Anyone can elect a "Robin Hood". But he is Green.
Black and Green, should never be seen..
The Neighborhood Stabilization Program should work like the"Cash for Clunkers". But it's hamper with to many rules for "First time Home buyers". Mr. President just get the money out to the American People and stop kissing the corporation butts. Thank you.
All the Asian carmakers said...........hoorah for BO and the democrats. Toyota is leading the cheer.
For the critics
as far as helping Japan – most popular car so far – Ford Focus
loan applications are not affected – if you could not qualify for a loan without the program, you can not qualify with it. those that drive a lot will be able to make their payments in part with the money they save on gas and repairs
a fair criticism – we are accelerating a year or 2 of car buying for many into a few months If the economy does not recover, all that will have happened is that the car depression is deferred and possibly made worse – but as part of an overall stimulus, it may contribute to the recovery. We should all hope so and not hope for failure and the suffering of many just so you on the right can claim you were right.
Wow, why do republicans and democrats have to fight over EVERYTHING?? This is obviously a very successful program both economically and environmentally. Really. You can't deny that. Every program will have its flaws, but overall this one is really successful and pushing our economy in the right direction.
We're in debt. People are losing jobs. People are losing their homes. Anything that can help turn any of those three problems around is a big thumbs up from me.
Best stimulus package idea so far. People buy cars and dealers, auto makers, sub-suppliers, truckers, railway companies, etc get more business… Workers get hired (or continue working). These people in turn purchase goods and services, etc, effectively stimulating economic growth…
This is much better than giving a boatload of money to financials with little to no accountability who then give out huge bonuses.
I love how people assume that these new buyers can’t afford the cars and will just default on the payments or that only Japanese cars are being sold. Wow.. it must a big burden to be so omnipotent. Actually I love how the Repuplican’ts just make stuff up… If you can’t use facts and logic just wing-it with BS…
By the way.. the biggest seller is the Ford Focus… yep.. made right here in the US.. The second is the Honda civic, built in Ohio,… actually the top six are built in the US… (I stopped checking after 6)…
Nice job Pres….
Yeah, i agree withthe other half of the consensus...I really don't see how this truly helps the economy. I guess we will all have to see end result. But for those of you who are convinced that this will put folks in more debt, revert back to President Obama's repetitive remarks "...self responsibility..." If you are struggling don't go get yourself in more debt. I like to think of this program as incentive for those who can afford new cars, but just wasn't really interested in investing in one, initially.
I traded in an old truck that I leave at the aiport since I travel alot. Since they were giving me $3500 for something not worth $800 it was a deal. Maybe the last tax break I get in a while. Negotiated the cost before I told them I was doing Cash for Clunkers – thats the way to go. Bought a Lexus.
It works, therefore the Anti-Obama thugs hate it.
Giving aid and assistance is a good thing. But this policy becomes an entitlement, have we forgotten why the housing economy went down, because of entitlement issue? How long should Americans who wants to save their hard earned money get taxed even more to continue this entitlement? This is somehow an indirect bailaout.
The Repubs are a hoot! Some are claiming the clunker program has been bungled because it was so successful so quick that it ran out of funds. Give me the name of any Repub who demanded more funding when the program was first passed. Critics are plentiful; leaders rare. I have yet to hear the Repubs propose one single meaningful program that would help revive the economy that their last leader left in shambles. Sorry, screaming "socialism" doesn't count!
This is a great program. Some people (Obama haters) need to stop being a WET blanket.
The programs a success, and the problem with success is.........??
You republicans are a hateful, sad, anti-american bunch. It must suck to be you.......
at least it serves out people, not iraq wars...by GOP guys...ok...concentrate on health care reform...fellas...
What's another 3 billion dollars at this point?
The republicans can do nothing but say NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! No wonder they lost the election because the know nothing but NO! Sad bunch of old foggies.
to "trade freedom," you can't compare this to health care, cash for clunkers is a stimulus program, its a completely different model and has a totally different purpose than that of health care.
Best Asian trade agreement yet. Obama takes over the largest US Automakers and then gives a stimulus so Americans will be buying Toyota, Honda, & Honda. Foriegn cars take up five of the top 10 with only one Chevy and GM was a no show. Don't take it out on the GOP as I am sure there are plenty of Republicans taking them up on this horrid business deal (for us taxpayers).