Speaker of the United States House of Representatives John A. Boehner (R-OH) spoke to attendees about major issues confronting the nation and the importance of staying involved.

Honoring an Ally: During lunch on Hill Day, ARA presented Congress- man Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) with the Association’s Congressional Award of Appreciation for his role in posing targeted questions to the automakers about access to parts data for professional automotive recy- clers in a hearing about recalls. These questions and the automakers responses will now be included in the official hearing record of pro- ceedings.

Educating a Critic: A critical meeting occurred between ARA and the Connecticut Automotive Recyclers (CAR) Executive Director Taia Cesana with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D- CT) about the comments he made during a worldwide media broadcast and a letter he wrote to the United States Attorney General that mischar-

ARA makes the rounds on the Hill.

acterizes the business of professional automotive recy- cling. ARA and Certified Automotive Recyclers (CAR) representatives talked at length with the Senator about the crucial economic and environmental role that recycled original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts sold by ARA member facilities play in the market. The fact that OEM parts are designed by the OEM and built to meet the OEM requirements for fit, finish, durability, reliability and safety was

emphasized. Much discussion occurred during this meeting and will continue as part of the ongoing debate on the utilization of automotive parts.

8th Annual State Legislative Summit At the State Legislative Summit, coinciding with

Hill Day, ARA members from over 20 states turned their attention to the top legislative issues impacting the industry at the state level. Initiated in 2008, the

May-June 2015 | Automotive Recycling 51

David Gold