Concerted Push on Capitol Hill Planned for Dealer Rights Legislation

Concerted Push on Capitol Hill Planned for Dealer Rights Legislation

Bastille Day, July 14, commemorating the glories of the French Revolution of 1789, appropriately is the day selected by dealer organizers of the Committee to Restore Dealer Rights (CRDR) to orchestrate a final, concerted dealer push to ensure the success of the Dealer Rights Legislation that is so pointedly and dramatically making its way through Congress. WANADA chairman Tamara Darvish of DARCARS has taken the lead on the July 14 event planning, along with fellow dealer organizers of the CRDR to pull together a fly-in of dealers and dealer association representatives from across the U.S. who will assemble in Washington in the shadow of the Capitol building to follow up with members of Congress, especially in the Senate, to get behind and co-sponsor HR 2743 and the companion bill S. 1304.

The Dealer Rights Legislation, which was only introduced one month ago in the House, has gained remarkable momentum and credibility with the publicly announced support of Democratic Party leaders and Maryland Congressmen Steny Hoyer and Chris Van Hollen. Once introduced in the Senate, the measure received similar credibility with high level Democrat senators John Kerry and Ted Kennedy co-sponsoring S. 1304 along with both Maryland senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin. Republicans in both houses have signed onto the legislation as well, which before the July 4th recess counted 202 House co-sponsors and about a dozen co-sponsors in the Senate. By any measure, this is dramatic legislative progress in Congress for such a short time frame.

WANADA dealer Jack Fitzgerald, who has joined Tammy in the leadership of the CRDR, has been a prominent proponent of the legislation across the Washington and national media no less than with many members of Congress.

Endorsed officially by NADA and countless dealer association affiliates of the Automotive Trade Associations (ATAE), including WANADA, MADA and VADA, the Dealer Rights Legislation restores state dealer franchise protection rights which were summarily set aside in the bankruptcy proceedings of Chrysler and General Motors. Along with the dealers rejected in the bankruptcy, this legislation would extend dashed franchise protection rights to dealers invited to continue with Chrysler and GM. In the end, all dealer positions in the franchise system are enhanced when state franchise rights are preserved against a frontal assault from the federal level, which the Chrysler and GM bankruptcy proceedings represent.

The July 14th programming will be preceded by a briefing and reception the night before at the Renaissance Hotel, 999 9th Street NW, Washington, DC, where a room block has been set up by CRDR for dealer representatives coming into town. A press conference is planned on July 14 on Capitol Hill where prominent sponsors of the Dealer Rights Legislation are slated to speak with respect to endgame strategies to push the legislation through to passage in Congress.

For more information on Bastille Day plans for the Dealer Rights Legislation and how to participate, go to CRDRs website at www.hometownautodealers.com.