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Big Three Look for Help on Capitol Hill

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

May 18, 2006

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U.S. automakers were on Capitol Hill today looking for help to develop alternatives of gasoline powered vehicles.

The automakers were supposed to meet with President Bush but the White House rescheduled the meeting. The President is in Arizona campaigning for his proposal to revise immigration laws and rules.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert told chief executives of the three battered Detroit-based auto companies that Congress will work with the auto industry to help produce more fuel-efficient vehicles.

"It is time to look at the new age and new opportunities of flexible fuel and hybrid autos," the Illinois Republican said before a closed door meeting with executives from General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., and the Chrysler Group got under way.

There were no specific promises from the House Speaker however. All three companies want legislation that would make flexible-fueled vehicles -- including those that run on a combination of gasoline and ethanol -- more widely available.

The three automakers are in the midst of huge changes that include thousands of job layoffs and plant closings in response to losing market share to foreign competition.

House Majority Leader John Boehner, who also attended the meeting said, "I just think that they face an awful lot of peril. There are a lot of jobs that are involved, not only with the Big Three but many of their suppliers."

Boehner is a Republican from Ohio.

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