John Warner

Would the Senator entertain a question?

Mr. President, we had the opportunity to speak on this subject earlier today. And I reminded my good friend of the extraordinary chapter in American history that was performed by the industrial base in your State and elsewhere across America under the leadership and guidance of those companies manufacturing automobiles after Pearl Harbor, I mean who were in the business of manufacturing at the time of Pearl Harbor. They shut those lines down very quickly and turned to full military production. That is a great chapter in American history. And, fortunately, I am old enough to remember it quite well as a young man.

But today, it is a different industrial base in the automobile industry. Whereas they had a very dominant position in the production of vehicles, particularly tanks, and they did some aircraft and so forth, that has given way to the high-tech aspects which the Senator from Michigan addresses here on the floor for the benefit of our colleagues.

That is a great chapter in American history. I would hope this Nation would never again be faced with as serious a problem as it was in World War II, namely that we had let our Armed Forces get down to very small levels and the equipment was old and tired.

You remember the pictures that they used broomsticks to practice their military maneuvers with and the Model T and Model A automobiles that were used for tanks. But that chapter reflects the potential of not just the companies themselves but the workers and how quickly they took their knowledge and their skilled hands to swing into action and produce the war materials that we needed very quickly.

Today our military is much stronger, well equipped, thanks to the distinguished chairman and others who have served with us on that committee. I think the likelihood of our Nation ever being confronted with a conflict that would have to require that enormous buildup is not, hopefully not there, but nevertheless we should remember that chapter.

It documents the capabilities of the workers and the families in this industry. I think you pointed with great pride to that era. I might add to my colleague's comment, he closed by asking all Senators to consider this very carefully. As I finish up my 30 years, I have been to a lot of Republican caucuses. We had one yesterday at noon. We just completed another. And the gravity of this issue is reflected in the gravity of the careful, very careful consideration being given by every member in our caucus. I can tell you that without any question. I am not suggesting exactly which way they are going to go. But I know that they have the best interests of the country in mind, and the gravity of the situation is enormous. You can detect it as you hear the colloquies going on on our side. I am sure the same is taking place the Senator's.

Our military vehicles.

I wish to make that clear because that technology has been available in the open market to those manufacturers, other than the oil industry, which have, in a remarkable way, taken these up- armored vehicles, that general category we have today, very quickly, to the great credit of the Secretary of Defense, Secretary Gates, he put together a structure of five companies to get into immediate production of those vehicles and into those vehicles has gone the development and technology that our distinguished colleague from Michigan has described.

It was very minor, but it was a privilege to have been associated with that generation.

Mr. President, as I have mentioned, GM, Ford, and Chrysler have a long and heralded history in our country and its national security.

There are few in the Senate today old enough to remember Pearl Harbor and the commencement of our military operations that followed. As one of those, I was privileged to serve as a 17- to 18-year-old sailor in the last year of WWII.

America was victorious in WWII because of those in uniform and those at home supporting them--particularly the industrial manufacturing base. The factory floor went to war.

At this time, I would like to have printed in the Record historical information outlining the contributions the auto manufacturers made to America's World War II war effort.

Mr. President, hopefully, America and its Allies will never face conflicts that would necessitate the defense production of the foregoing magnitude. Further, the auto industrial base today, as it relates to defense work, is vastly reduced.

But this base is the foundation of today's auto industry, which could, once again, play a significant role in the defense of America.

I would like to conclude with remarks from my longtime friend and colleague, Gen. James L. Jones, who is destined to be the National Security Adviser to President-elect Barack Obama:

The financial health of the domestic auto industry

suppliers is critical to national security. These suppliers

possess unique capabilities to design and manufacture

essential defense components should the United States need

them. We can't allow this critical piece of America's

manufacturing base to disappear.

Madam President, earlier this summer, when gasoline prices were topping $4 a gallon, I asked the GAO to analyze potential savings from the establishment of a national speed limit. I did not prescribe what that speed limit should be, merely asked the GAO to conduct an analysis at which speeds vehicles were most fuel efficient and make a determination as to whether a national speed limit would have positive impacts on the conservation of gasoline.

My interest in this approach to gas conservation was spurred by a desire for a measure that would provide immediate relief to the overstretched budgets of households across America. I was also dusting off a solution used in the past, specifically, the number of barrels of oil saved when a national speed limit was imposed in 1974 in response to the Arab oil embargo.

Last week, I was pleased to meet with the GAO and hear their findings on the relationship between vehicular speed and fuel economy as well as how reducing the speed limit might affect fuel use and perhaps cost.

While the days of my service in the U.S. Senate are numbered, it is my hope that these findings by the GAO can serve as a useful tool to my colleagues who will return in the next Congress, as I know the interlinked issues of energy, transportation, and climate change are going to remain the focus of much debate and policy making in the coming years.

Mr. President, I thank the GAO for its work, and I ask unanimous consent that GAO analysis be printed in the Record.