President’s Message: Spring is a season for new growth, new life, and new opportunities.
Opportunity budding in D.C.
As the cherry blossoms remerge along the tidal basin in Washington, there is also new life springing forward on Capitol Hill. The Right to Repair seeds our industry’s advocacy efforts sowed back in 2012 are finally beginning to sprout in Congress..U.S. House
In recent weeks, we’ve secured a co-sponsor for our federal Right to Repair bill in Congress, which now means our bill has gained bi-partisan support in the House of Representatives. The Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act was first introduced in the House by Representative Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) in February, with Representative Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) signing on as a co-sponsor earlier this month. The REPAIR Act will update existing laws to reflect the modernization of automobiles and the importance of consumer choice in auto repair.Getting the bill onto the House floor for a vote is the next critical stage in passing the REPAIR Act. This is where we need your help. Congressional support for the REPAIR Act will grow if you contact your representatives and tell them to support it.
U.S. Senate
Once the House votes on a bill and passes it, our next hurdle will be getting the Senate to vote on it. Last month, our association secured a private roundtable discussion with Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) that allowed Texan association members the opportunity to discuss the REPAIR Act and other pressing issues facing our industry.When it came to legislation supporting the right to repair, Senator Cruz stated that he was “happy to commit to working with [the industry] to address the issue in a way that makes sense and ensure that people have the right to make their own repair decisions.”
Our momentum in gaining Right to Repair support throughout Congress is growing, but it can easily wilt and die if Congress doesn’t sense interest in the REPAIR Act from their constituents.
Branching Out
This season is growing ripe with a desire from Americans to finally have the right to repair what's theirs. We can’t risk neglecting the fruits of our efforts and must continue to nurture our bill by contacting our legislators to pass the REPAIR Act.Our industry’s roots run deep in America’s history—it’s up to each and every one of the more than 4 million of us to ensure those roots continue to grow into the next century of automotive advancement. Let’s make this a spring of action.
When we have the courage to connect with others, that’s when we see new growth and the change we desire.
Get in contact with Tod Moore, our head of grassroots and advocacy, so you can start connecting with your lawmakers today: tod.moore@autocare.org.
Mike Chung
is director, market intelligence at Auto Care Association. With more than a dozen years of experience in market research, Chung provides the industry with timely information on key factors and trends influencing the health of the automotive aftermarket to help businesses throughout the supply chain make better business decisions. Chung has earned degrees in chemical engineering, environmental health, and business administration. He can be reached at michael.chung@autocare.org.
Welcome to the new YANG Effect! Your one-stop quarterly newsletter for all things Automotive Aftermarket contributed to and written by under-40 industry professionals.
More posts
Market Insights with Mike is a series presented by the Auto Care Association's Director of Market Intelligence, Mike Chung, that is dedicated to analyzing market-influencing trends as they happen and their potential effects on your business and the auto care industry.
More posts