Gm and Chrysler Dealership Closures: Protecting Dealers and Consumers
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S. HRG. 111–444 GM AND CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP CLOSURES: PROTECTING DEALERS AND CONSUMERS HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JUNE 3, 2009 Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 52–752 PDF WASHINGTON : 2010 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Nov 24 2008 11:31 Nov 09, 2010 Jkt 052752 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\52752.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia, Chairman DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas, Ranking JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada BARBARA BOXER, California JIM DEMINT, South Carolina BILL NELSON, Florida JOHN THUNE, South Dakota MARIA CANTWELL, Washington ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia MARK PRYOR, Arkansas DAVID VITTER, Louisiana CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota MEL MARTINEZ, Florida TOM UDALL, New Mexico MIKE JOHANNS, Nebraska MARK WARNER, Virginia MARK BEGICH, Alaska ELLEN L. DONESKI, Chief of Staff JAMES REID, Deputy Chief of Staff BRUCE H. ANDREWS, General Counsel CHRISTINE D. KURTH, Republican Staff Director and General Counsel PAUL NAGLE, Republican Chief Counsel (II) VerDate Nov 24 2008 11:31 Nov 09, 2010 Jkt 052752 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\52752.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held on June 3, 2009, ................................................................................ 1 Statement of Senator Rockefeller ........................................................................... 1 Statement of Senator Hutchison ............................................................................ 3 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 4 Statement of Senator Klobuchar ............................................................................ 5 Statement of Senator Johanns ............................................................................... 7 Statement of Senator Begich .................................................................................. 8 Statement of Senator Lautenberg .......................................................................... 9 Statement of Senator Dorgan ................................................................................. 9 Statement of Senator Snowe ................................................................................... 10 Statement of Senator Isakson ................................................................................. 12 Statement of Senator Martinez .............................................................................. 13 Statement of Senator Brownback ........................................................................... 13 Statement of Senator Warner ................................................................................. 15 Statement of Senator McCaskill ............................................................................. 16 Statement of Senator DeMint ................................................................................. 16 Statement of Senator Wicker .................................................................................. 17 Statement of Senator Udall .................................................................................... 18 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 18 Statement of Senator Pryor .................................................................................... 19 Letter, dated June 2, 2009 to Hon. Mark Pryor from Steve Landers, Sr., President, RLJ-McLarty-Landers Automotive Holdings, LLC ........... 19 Statement of Senator Thune ................................................................................... 20 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 20 Statement of Senator Nelson .................................................................................. 84 WITNESSES Peter Lopez, Owner/President, Spencer Auto Group ............................................ 21 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 23 Russell Aubrey Whatley III, Owner/Dealer, Russell Whatley Motor Company . 24 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 25 James Press, Vice Chairman and President, Chrysler LLC ................................ 26 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 28 Fritz Henderson, President and CEO, General Motors ........................................ 34 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 37 John P. McEleney, Chairman, National Automobile Dealers Association .......... 40 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 41 APPENDIX Hon. John F. Kerry, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, prepared statement .... 91 Hon. Tom Udall, U.S. Senator from New Mexico, prepared statement .............. 91 Letter, dated June 12, 2009, to Hon. John D. Rockefeller IV and Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison from James Press, Vice Chairman and President of Chrysler ................................................................................................................ 91 Response to written questions submitted to James Press by: Hon. John D. Rockefeller IV ............................................................................ 93 Hon. Daniel K. Inouye ...................................................................................... 94 Hon. John Kerry ............................................................................................... 94 Hon. Byron Dorgan ........................................................................................... 96 Hon. Bill Nelson ............................................................................................... 97 Hon. Maria Cantwell ........................................................................................ 100 Hon. Mark Pryor ............................................................................................... 101 Hon. Claire McCaskill ...................................................................................... 102 (III) VerDate Nov 24 2008 11:31 Nov 09, 2010 Jkt 052752 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\52752.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE IV Page Response to written questions submitted to James Press by—Continued Hon. Tom Udall ................................................................................................ 104 Hon. Mark Begich ............................................................................................. 105 Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison ............................................................................. 106 Hon. Jim DeMint .............................................................................................. 108 Hon. John Thune .............................................................................................. 108 Hon. Roger Wicker ........................................................................................... 109 Response to written question submitted to Fritz Henderson by: Hon. John D. Rockefeller IV ............................................................................ 113 Hon. John Kerry ............................................................................................... 113 Hon. Byron Dorgan ........................................................................................... 114 Hon. Barbara Boxer ......................................................................................... 114 Hon. Bill Nelson ............................................................................................... 115 Hon. Maria Cantwell ........................................................................................ 117 Hon. Claire McCaskill ...................................................................................... 118 Hon. Mark Pryor ............................................................................................... 118 Hon. Tom Udall ................................................................................................ 119 Hon. Mark Begich ............................................................................................. 120 Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison ............................................................................. 122 Hon. Jim DeMint .............................................................................................. 123 Hon. John Thune .............................................................................................. 123 Hon. David Vitter ............................................................................................. 124 Hon. Roger Wicker ..........................................................................................