Big Three Automakers Unlikely To Receive Help From Congress on Health Care This Year

The Big Three automakers -- General Motors, Ford Motor and the Chrysler Group -- in November 2007 told President Bush that they need help with health care costs and other issues, but neither the president nor lawmakers "appears likely to offer automakers any more help this year," Cox/Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. According to Cox/Journal-Constitution, possibly the "most important public policy issue for the industry involves health care," as GM has become the largest private health care purchaser, with 1.1 million employees, retirees and their dependents. Charles Territo, a spokesperson for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said, "As we get closer to November, the window of opportunity for major legislation will diminish." He said that the group does not expect Congress to pass any significant health care reform legislation this year, regardless of the financial outlook for the automakers. "We expect nothing," Territo said. He added that the passage of such legislation will not occur until at least next year, when a new president and new Congress have taken office (Geewax, Cox/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 6/8).