Tom Harkin: “There is no doubt that the automobile industry is the heart and soul of America's manufacturing sector. It is absolutely…”

“There is no doubt that the automobile industry is the heart and soul of America's manufacturing sector. It is absolutely critical to a healthy and diversified, vibrant U.S. economy. Right now this essential industry is on life support, hemorrhaging jobs, slashing production, closing dealerships, and, in the case of GM and Chrysler, dependent on Federal loans to avoid bankruptcy. Chrysler announced a 50-percent decline in January sales compared to a year ago. GM had a 49-percent decline in sales. Ford had a 39-percent decline. Toyota, with major plants in America, suffered a 32-percent decline in U.S. sales. These numbers are shocking, and people who think this is only an automakers' problem just don't get it. The auto industry is not just a few assembly plants in Detroit. The Big Three and foreign automakers have plants in Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. There are car dealerships and auto parts manufacturers in thousands of communities all across America. Directly or indirectly, the auto industry supports one 1 of every 10 jobs in this country. So let's be very clear, we are not going to have a strong economic recovery in the United States without a strong recovery in the automobile industry.”