AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this strong compromise to H.R. 979, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.

We have worked on this effort for years, so I thank Chair Guthrie, Ranking Member Pallone, Chairman Bilirakis, and all of my colleagues who have worked diligently to find common ground and move this legislation forward.

I also thank the broadcasters and the car companies and everybody else who has been part of a lot of tough discussions. I have spent my life at the heart of the American auto industry, and cars have always been a core part of who I am.

I understand both the importance of making sure consumers have access to critical information and the importance of getting Federal policy right as technology continues to evolve.

AM radio remains an important tool for communities across the country, especially when it comes to delivering lifesaving information during emergencies and natural disasters. Consumers need to have reliable access to those alerts, but we also have to recognize that technology changes. That is why I believe the compromise before us today strikes the correct balance.

This bill mandates AM radio in every new car, but it also includes a sunset provision recognizing that Congress should reassess the mandates as technology evolves. If AM radio continues to provide value in the future, Congress can and should act again.

It strengthens compliance timelines, ensuring that consumers have reliable

access to emergency information without delays.

The bill requires a public study on the potential impacts of mandating AM radio, including implications for safety and innovation and potential solutions auto manufactures could adopt.

There were a lot of tough conversations and work with stakeholders and across the aisle to find this compromise. Today, it just feels like a day to say this is what Congress is supposed to do.

As we all know, AM radio remains widespread across our country. Madam Speaker, 99 percent of the 286 million vehicles on the road today have AM radio, and roughly 90 percent of new vehicles will still include it. With the average vehicle on the road being more than 12 years old, almost all Americans will continue to have AM radio in their vehicles for years to come.

This is about putting consumers in the driver's seat and maintaining broad access to emergency communications.

I am proud of the work that went into this bipartisan compromise. I will be voting in favor of this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Madam Speaker, let's get this bill across the finish line.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 979, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, bipartisan legislation that Ranking Member Pallone introduced with Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Bilirakis of Florida.

As Chairman Guthrie just noted, tens of millions of Americans listen to AM radio every day. Americans tune in to listen to the news, sports, weather, and more, often while driving.

AM radio also plays a critical role during emergencies. AM stations are an important distribution for emergency alerts, and there is a network of AM broadcast stations specifically designed to withstand major weather events and other disasters.

These stations act as primary entry points for the Nation's Emergency Alert System, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency invests millions of dollars every year to keep those AM stations ready to broadcast in emergencies.

Given how important AM radio is, especially in times of emergency, we cannot risk removing it from our vehicles, which multiple automakers have done.

This bill, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, recognizes the essential role of AM radio and ensures that consumers will continue to have AM radio available in their vehicles. It directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule that requires vehicle manufacturers to install equipment to receive AM radio signals in all new passenger cars made or sold in the United States.

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act will preserve access to critical information provided over AM radio during times of emergency, as well as access to the stations Americans know and love during times of safety.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell).

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier and for the reasons Chairman Guthrie and Mrs. Dingell stated, I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 979, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 979) to require the Secretary

of Transportation to issue a rule requiring access to AM broadcast stations in motor vehicles, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.R. 979.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 979, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. Tens of millions of Americans tune into broadcast AM radio every day. Farmers use AM radio for weather forecasts, local information, crop reports, while older Americans rely on it for local news and programming.

Most importantly, AM radio is a critical tool for emergency communications. When a disaster hits and a broadband network goes dark, AM radio can continue providing critical emergency information to communities. This bipartisan bill has broad support from stakeholders, including the Farm Bureau, former FEMA administrators, and first responders.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the sponsor of this piece of legislation, chairman of the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee, and a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my friend from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and my friend from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell) for working together to get us to a point where we could pass this bill today, just as we heard Mr. Grothman from Wisconsin say how important this bill is.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, AM broadcast radio is a critical public safety resource and our emergency alert system is based around those signals.

AM radio is also used for communications between public safety officials and for information sharing to the public during national and local emergencies.

During a natural disaster, many people find their electricity out, cell service out, and have a limited ability to get information, unfortunately. In many instances, people end up listening to the radio in their car for their only source of information.

People in States like Florida know all too well that evacuation routes during emergencies require constant information sharing, and AM radio is the go-to.

Just imagine if in that critical moment you find that your vehicle is not receiving those AM alert transmissions. If a vehicle does not have AM broadcasting abilities, it takes away the last resort of communication and leaves people vulnerable during moments when seconds matter.

This is what makes the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act so very important.

By ensuring automakers include AM broadcast radio in their cars, we can protect Americans and ensure this critical service remains available. It is that simple, Madam Speaker.

I thank Ranking Member Pallone for working with me on this particular bill and, of course, the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Guthrie, my good friend. We need to pass this critical piece of legislation as soon as possible.

Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to call for a vote at some time in this Chamber shortly on H.R. 979, a bill put together by Gus Bilirakis of Florida.

Recently, I had a friend who purchased a high--I could even argue overpriced European automobile. After driving around in the car for a few days, all of a sudden, she realized that automobile didn't have AM radio.

I can't imagine what I would have felt like if I spent 50 grand for a car and had no AM radio. Couldn't I take it back and say: Take out the windshield and put in the AM radio.

I mean, there are certain things you expect out of a car. I know the automobile industry is highly regulated to a certain extent because we don't want anybody shocked at the things they don't have in a car when they buy it.

This bill is mandatory. I bet I have AM radio on 80 percent of the time I am in the car. Whether you want news, traffic, weather, sports, AM is the radio where you find it.

I will tell you: To prevent anybody from having a heart attack when they buy a car, let's pass H.R. 979.