- November 20, 2008
Sen. Carper Issues Statement on Status of Federal Auto Bailout Plan
WASHINGTON – Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) issued the following statement in response to an announcement late today that Congress will not vote on an auto bailout plan until possibly early December.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Congress will return the week of December 8th to vote on legislation granting emergency funds to General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., and Chrysler LLC if lawmakers can devise a bipartisan plan that will pass both chambers of Congress.
Sen. Carper said:
“I support congressional action that helps the auto industry with its short-term financial problems because we can’t afford to let Detroit go under. But we also shouldn’t pass a plan that doesn’t have significant strings attached. We have to do everything possible to ensure that American taxpayers don’t throw good money after bad, and that means helping the automakers figure out a path forward that will lead to long-term economic viability. We need to give Detroit our version of tough love for its sake and the sake of the American economy.
“My hope is that we also do something to protect the interest of autoworkers who are already losing their jobs, including the men and women who make up the extraordinary workforce at our Chrysler plant in Newark, Delaware. Like it or not, any reasonable path forward for the Big Three will mean that more workers will lose their jobs. We need to be sure that they’re taken care of and help them transition into new jobs.”