I’m working my way through the House’s Cap and Trade bill. Get your own copy here. Be aware though that this copy is only 1,092 pages long - it is not the full amended bill that was passed on Friday. I can find no full copy of the full bill.

Under the “Cash for Clunkers” program, the Federal Gov’t will give out vouchers of $3,500 or $4,500 (depending on the difference in MPG in your trade-in and the new vehicle you’re purchasing or leasing) towards the purchase of a new fuel-efficient car.

What will happen to the cars that are traded in?
They get shredded and crushed.

(2) DISPOSITION OF ELIGIBLE TRADE-IN VEHI2
CLES.—
3 (A) IN GENERAL.—For each eligible trade
4 in vehicle, the title of which is transferred to a
5 dealer under the Program, the dealer shall certify
6 to the Secretary, in such manner as the Sec
7 retary shall prescribe by rule, that the vehicle,
8 including the engine and drive train—
9 (i) will be crushed or shredded within
10 such period and in such manner as the Sec
11 retary prescribes, or will be transferred to
12 an entity that will ensure that the vehicle
13 will be crushed or shredded within such pe
14 riod and in such manner as the Secretary
15 prescribes; and
16 (ii) has not been, and will not be, sold,
17 leased, exchanged, or otherwise disposed of
18 for use as an automobile in the United
19 States or in any other country, or has been
20 or will be transferred, in such manner as
21 the Secretary prescribes, to an entity that
22 will ensure that the vehicle has not been,
23 and will not be, sold, leased, exchanged, or
24 otherwise disposed of for use as an auto-
1 mobile in the United States or in any other
2 country.

Not only that, the new vehicles that are sold or leased under this program, as well as those traded in, will have their VINs (Vehicle Identification Numbers) placed into a Federal database:

(1) DATABASE.—The Secretary shall maintain a
22 database of the vehicle identification numbers of all
23 new fuel efficient vehicles purchased or leased and all
24 eligible trade-in vehicles disposed of under the Pro
25 gram.

So now, not only do the cars get completely destroyed and are therefore unavailable for the public to purchase in the future, but the Federal gov’t has a database of all of the new vehicles purchased.

Better hang on to those old classic muscle cars. One day you’ll be Edgar Friendly driving an illegal fossil-fuel-guzzling vehicle, too.
(Props to the movie Demolition Man.)

Photo credit to Ambo333 on Flickr.