Trump backs the freedom to fix. Now Congress must act

Last Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed a short-term funding bill that extends federal highway and transit program authority — funding that was originally set to expire at the end of the month — through Dec. 11. That buys Congress a few more months to finally codify the right to vehicle repair into law, something lawmakers have been dragging their feet on this legislative session.This need can’t be overstated. Nearly 30% of independent mechanics have reported a decline in the number of cars they service because they lack access to necessary data or software, and many are watching their shops close for good. Why the sudden drop-off? Because giant automakers have locked independent shops (and the drivers and farmers who rely on them) out of the right to repair the very vehicles they own. When manufacturers refuse to share the diagnostic tools and computer access mechanics need to make the fix, the result is a manufacturer-built monopoly where only a licensed dealer is allowed to touch the software running your car. And when independent shops can’t do the work, customers get stuck paying dealership prices, all while small-town mechanics lose the business that keeps their doors open.Take JJ, an independent mechanic who built a following on TikTok (@4seasonauto). He recently closed his shop for good, saying he simply couldn’t compete with dealerships that control access to the tools he needs. In his words, licensed dealers “have a monopoly” that makes it nearly impossible for guys like him to do their jobs.JJ isn’t alone. A nationwide survey by the Auto Care Association shows that mechanics across the country reported the same problem. A majority of independent repair shop owners said the lack of access to tools for newer vehicles costs them several jobs a month and named it the single biggest threat to their business. All told, these manufacturer restrictions cost independent repair shops an estimated $3.1 billion a year, according to Motor1.com.Family farmers face the same problem when it comes to their tractors and equipment. A single software glitch can cost them dearly if it strikes during planting or harvest, the two windows of the year when every day counts. That’s why it was welcome news when John Deere and the Federal Trade Commission recently reached an agreement forcing the company to give farmers and independent repair shops the tools they need to fix their own equipment — a principle known as right to repair. Deere has long demonstrated a desire to prove that private property rights and a business’s IP rights can peacefully coexist, and this agreement proves the accuracy of that sentiment.The Deere deal should serve as a model for the auto industry to follow. To help mechanics like JJ and keep independent shops from disappearing, Washington needs to tear down the manufacturer-built barriers rigging the free market in the cases where companies are not willing to negotiate.CHINA COULD HACK YOUR NEXT CAR. THE SENATE HAS A CHANCE TO STOP ITTrump has already put the federal government squarely behind this cause. In June, he signed a presidential memorandum promoting Americans’ “freedom to fix,” directing the Environmental Protection Agency to clarify the repairs drivers may legally make, ease the approval process for aftermarket parts, and avoid punishing people who make good-faith efforts to fix their own vehicles. Trump called the principle “really common sense.” He’s right, and Congress now has an opportunity to build on his action by ensuring that people and their mechanics can access the information and tools those repairs require. But members have a limited window to act.Lawmakers should include the right to repair-minded Motor Vehicle Modernization Act, already approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee in a bipartisan 48-1 vote, in the surface transportation reauthorization bill and pass it before the Dec. 11 deadline. Doing so would let independent businesses compete on a more level playing field, put money back in hardworking families’ pockets, and prove that Washington can still get something this simple right.Thomas Stratmann is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center and a professor of economics and law at George Mason University.