Senate Holding Hearings To Determine How To Give NHTSA More Bark And Bite

A Senate panel will hold a hearing next week on the future of the government’s auto safety agency and how it handled General Motors Co.’s ignition switch complaints.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., will chair a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing Sept. 16. It is expected to include testimony from acting NHTSA administrator David Friedman, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers trade group and at least one auto safety advocate.

Several proposals have been introduced to revamp NHTSA, give it new authority and dramatically increase staffing. The agency’s budget for overseeing auto recalls has remained flat for years.

MDarringer - 9/10/2014 9:02:26 PM

0 Boost

That would be BAD for consumer on so many levels. Just what we need is an automotive Gestapo! NOT!!

40flash - 9/11/2014 10:45:55 PM

+1 Boost

Well said Matt. There are string of agencies we should do away with entirely. The states can handle many things better than the feds. It's another 10th amendment issue. We should start with the EPA, the education dept, the rural electrification dept, etc.......