WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The White House said Saturday that it is still in talks with lawmakers on a bailout for the U.S. auto sector, and hopes to make progress this weekend.
"We have had constructive discussions with members of Congress from both houses, and both sides of the aisle." White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
"We hope to continue to make progress toward assistance for the automakers based on important principles", she said, "that taxpayer assistance only be considered for companies willing to make the difficult decisions across the scope of their businesses to be viable and competitive in the future; that taxpayer assistance should come from funds already appropriated in the program specifically intended to assist automakers - the auto loan program; and that assistance is accompanied by very strong taxpayer protections. Taxpayers should not be asked to finance assistance for automakers without a strong likelihood that they will be paid back."
Several congressional aides said Friday that the broad outlines of a deal to bail out the failing U.S. auto industry had been reached between Congressional Democrats and the White House, although they cautioned that the specific terms of any deal had yet to be ironed out.
Early Friday evening, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., issued statements saying they hoped to have legislation ready for lawmakers to vote on by the middle of next week.
-By Henry J. Pulizzi, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9256; henry.pulizzi@dowjones.com
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 06, 2008 10:05 ET (15:05 GMT)

Publié le 06 Décembre 2008 Copyright © 2008 Dowjones