Here is an idea worth thinking about. The US automobile manufacturers are at a competitive disadvantage to importers. They have a large pool of retired workers who have been promised benefits that add to the cost of US cars versus the imports. What if as a part of a comprehensive plan to reform pensions (make them all defined contribution, self directed not defined benefit, company or union managed) that we spread the burden of the unfunded portion of auto workers pensions to a cost on all cars sold in the US.
I’m not sure of the long term implications but on the face it is a better solution than bankrupting the companies and throwing the pension liability onto the taxpayers directly.