Reps. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) have introduced the “Federal Vehicle Repair Cost Savings Act of 2014 (H.R. 4056), which encourages civilian federal fleet managers to use remanufactured parts when maintaining the fleet, noting the environmental, economic and product performance benefits associated with their usage.
“Remanufacturing is sustainable manufacturing,” said John Chalifoux, president and COO of the Motor & Equipment Remanufacturers Association (MERA), a division of Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). “With this legislation, our country is well positioned to take full advantage of the quality, value and sustainability benefits associated with remanufactured goods.”
“For any customer, downtime is not an option, and fleet managers know they can trust remanufactured parts to keep their vehicles on the road,” says Jack Vollbrecht, senior vice president, Remy International, and vice chairman of MERA. “In an age of budget austerity and environmental consciousness, it is only appropriate for the U.S. government to prioritize the use of remanufactured parts.”
MEMA says, citing a March 2013 Government Accountability Office report, there are approximately 588,000 vehicles in the civilian federal fleet. H.R. 4056 encourages the use of remanufactured parts in maintaining the fleet, thereby realizing the economic cost savings while preserving quality and performance.
“In a 2012 report from the U.S. International Trade Commission, the United States is the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of remanufactured goods,” says Steve Handschuh, president and CEO, MEMA. “This legislation will help our country to reduce the federal deficit and support the more than 180,000 hard working men and women in the U.S. remanufacturing industry.”
