Pa. congressmen set up Auto Care Caucus

WASHINGTON (March 14, 2017) — Two U.S. representatives from Pennsylvania, Republican Scott Perry and Democrat Brendan Boyle, have agreed to co-chair a bipartisan Auto Care Caucus and are inviting other members of Congress to join them.

According to Messrs. Perry and Boyle, the Auto Care Caucus will advance an agenda that will benefit all aspects of the auto care industry, including auto repairers and service providers; parts and accessories manufacturers, distributors and sellers; and manufacturers, distributors and sellers of tools and materials.

This is the second iteration of the Auto Care Caucus. The inaugural one was established in the 114th Congress, according to the Auto Care Association (ACA), whose goals include "developing a team of legislators in the auto care industry's corner when it comes to impacting legislation under consideration on Capitol Hill, is urging its members to contact their U.S. representatives and urge them to join the Auto Care Caucus.

Every Caucus, formally called Congressional Member Organizations, needs to be registered with every new Congress so elected officials can reaffirm their support for the industry, the ACA said.

"Having a caucus with the Auto Care name is a great start," the ACA said. "But now we want to ensure that it is effective. The larger the caucus, the greater the influence."

Messrs Berry and Boyle stated in their letter, "We'll look to draft legislation that benefits all parties involved in the automotive industry, which in turn further advances consumer satisfaction."

The congressmen noted that the U.S. auto care industry records sales of $356 billion annually and employs more than 4.5 million.

"The importance to U.S. consumers of a competitive vehicle repair industry translates into the need for a strong collective voice in Congress to shepherd the message of independent auto care providers through the legislative and regulatory systems at all levels of government," they said.

According to the mission statement, the Auto Care Caucus aims to:

• Preserve and improve convenient consumer access to affordable, high-quality auto parts, maintenance and repairs;

• Protect U.S. vehicle owners by ensuring they are the decision makers when it comes to their vehicle data;

• Promote secure and safe vehicles that minimize cybersecurity threats;
• Protect the rights of consumers to choose independent auto repair shops;

• Ensure that automotive repair and maintenance are key considerations in the development of any legislation and regulations involving vehicle safety;

• Facilitate the development and accessibility of education programs to help auto technicians gain the advanced technology skills to work on today's computer-controlled vehicles; and

• Increase government and public awareness of the importance of the auto care industry to the nation's transportation infrastructure.

The caucus co-chairs listed their contacts as: Mr. Perry — John Drzewicki. [email protected]; and Mr. Boyle — Helena Mastrogianis, [email protected].

Besides the ACA, the Automotive Body Parts Association, Coalition for Auto Repair Equality and Tire Industry Association are also supporting Messrs. Perry and Boyle and urge other elected officials to become members of the Auto Care Caucus.