WASHINGTON — Amid partisan sparring, a House panel has advanced a sweeping auto- safety bill that critics contend is too tough on the industry.
The legislation, approved 31-21 by the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the wake of the large Toyota Motor Corp. recalls, now goes to the full House, where lawmakers hope to pass it this year.
Toyota has recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles around the globe, leading to the first major review of auto-safety laws in Congress in a decade.
Under provisions of the bill, automakers would be required to meet new safety standards to prevent unintended acceleration in vehicles. They also would face tougher penalties for slowing down a recall. The bill empowers the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to order a recall if it finds “substantial likelihood of death or serious injury to the public.”
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the committee’s chairman, called it a “balanced bill” that would “dramatically improve the safety of motor vehicles.”
But Republicans said the bill, including tougher fines, was overly harsh on the industry. They questioned efforts to boost federal funding for the safety agency and add user fees of $3 to $9 per vehicle to fund its safety program.
“If you think this bill helps the automotive industry … I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn that I don’t own that I’d be happy to sell to you,” said Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas.
Democrats said the federal agency had been underfunded for years, limiting its ability to root out potential safety defects.
