House Resolution 17

A RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO TAKE EMERGENCY ACTION AND SECURE THE VIABILITY OF THE UNITED STATES AUTO INDUSTRY.

WHEREAS, an increasing number and variety of relevant specialists have been joining an international chorus which is warning that an ongoing, systemic economic collapse of the world's monetary system has now entered its terminal phase; and

WHEREAS, certain stop-gap actions must now be implemented to forestall the irreparable damage to our economy, which is typified by the presently accelerating crisis of the United States automobile industry; and

WHEREAS, any liquidation of the present structure of the productive capacities of the auto industry, especially its machine tool sector, would mean the end of the United States of America as a leading economic power, and would result in damage to the world economy as a whole; and

WHEREAS, the federal government must now be encouraged to act in accord with the implied constitutional obligation of our nation to promote the general welfare, both for our own republic and in concerted action among nations; and

WHEREAS, unless corrected, the present crisis would become far worse than the crisis experienced in Europe and America during the Great Depression of the 1930s; and

WHEREAS, the creation of new productive capital can be accomplished under our national economic system without the participation of the private sector economy; and

WHEREAS, under our constitutional system, long-term capital must be used chiefly to create expanded productive employment and create long-term capital investment in improved basic economic infrastructure, agriculture, and manufacturing; and

WHEREAS, the principal objective of the United States government in the current crisis among leading North American automobile manufacturers is to ensure the continued employment of the members of the labor force associated with that industry within their present localities of employment; and

WHEREAS, the loss of the tool-making and related capabilities of that sector of the auto industry would be devastating to the economies of our nation and the world; and

WHEREAS, the relationship between the machine tool and related elements, and the much larger mass of technicians and operatives employed downstream in the process is an integral relationship, creating situations whereby the employment of the one cannot be separated from employment of the other, and in which the ratio of less-skilled operatives to highly skilled machine tool and related technicians similarly should not be reduced; and

WHEREAS, the diversification of the productive potential of the auto industry to a broader mixture of suitable forms of production would shift large portions of current employment into the domain of essential capital goods of production and basic economic infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, the federal government should intervene in order to save our existing industry and create large new areas of employment of our citizenry in infrastructure and manufacturing, comparable to the best of the New Deal programs that rescued the nation and the world from the Great Depression; and

WHEREAS, a governmental intervention would provide tens of thousands of productive jobs repairing our infrastructure, and at least ten million jobs could be created nationally, while at the same time maintaining the auto production of General Motors Corporation, of Ford Motor Company, and of their respective subsidiaries. Such an initiative would also restore our tax base and increase the national standard of living:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That:

(a) The Congress of the United States is urged to intervene on behalf of national and related interests to ensure that the productive potential of the automobile industry, with its featured high technology and machine tool capability, shall remain intact; and

(b) The United States government executive branch is urged to intervene to vastly expand the construction and maintenance of infrastructure projects and related industries in the nation.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the members of the Mississippi Congressional Delegation and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.