In The News

House panel OKs using remade auto parts in gov’t fixes
The Detroit News - Melissa Nann Burke - July 22, 2015

A House panel on Wednesday approved legislation by Rep. Bill Huizenga that aims to trim the nearly $1 billion in federal vehicle repair costs each year by encouraging the use of remanufactured auto parts.

With the OK of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the bill could next be taken up by the full House. Huizenga is a third-term Republican congressman from Zeeland.

The Senate passed a similar measure sponsored by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, in June.

“I am happy to see this legislation pass out of committee with strong bipartisan support,” Huizenga said.

“I look forward to the House taking up this common-sense, ‘Made in Michigan’ solution that Senator Peters and I have put forward to reduce government spending and create jobs in Michigan.”

Remanufactured parts have been returned to same-as-new condition and are often cheaper than new parts.

The committee also approved a bill by Reps. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, and Brenda Lawrence, D-Southfield, that would require federal agencies to identify and close out thousands of expired grant accounts with a zero balance.

The legislation directs the agencies to send their reports on grant close-outs to the Department of Health and Human Services, which would compile and send the information to Congress.

“The federal government is currently racking up service fees to administer thousands of expired, empty grant accounts, costing taxpayers millions per year,” Walberg said in a statement.

The panel also greenlighted a Walberg bill that aims to streamline government spending and eliminate outdated programs by requiring federal agencies to provide basic details on what they do and how much each program costs.