Sen. John D. Rockefeller Iv Holds a Hearing On the Government Response to the Toyota Recalls, Panel 1

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Sen. John D. Rockefeller Iv Holds a Hearing On the Government Response to the Toyota Recalls, Panel 1

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION HOLDS A HEARING ON THE GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO THE TOYOTA RECALLS, PANEL 1

MARCH 2, 2010

SPEAKERS: SEN. JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, D-W.VA. CHAIRMAN SEN. DANIEL K. INOUYE, D-HAWAII SEN. JOHN KERRY, D-MASS. SEN. BYRON L. DORGAN, D-N.D. SEN. BARBARA BOXER, D-CALIF. SEN. BILL NELSON, D-FLA. SEN. MARIA CANTWELL, D-WASH. SEN. FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, D-N.J. SEN. MARK PRYOR, D-ARK. SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL, D-MO. SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR, D-MINN. SEN. TOM UDALL, D-N.M. SEN. MARK WARNER, D-VA. SEN. MARK BEGICH, D-ALASKA

SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, R-TEXAS RANKING MEMBER SEN. OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, R-MAINE SEN. JOHN ENSIGN, R-NEV. SEN. JIM DEMINT, R-S.C. SEN. DAVID VITTER, R-LA. SEN. JOHN THUNE, R-S.D. SEN. ROGER WICKER, R-MISS. SEN. JOHNNY ISAKSON, R-GA. SEN. SAM BROWNBACK, R-KAN. SEN. MIKE JOHANNS, R-NEB. SEN. GEORGE LEMIEUX, R-FLA.

WITNESSES: SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION RAY LAHOOD

DAVID STRICKLAND, ADMINISTRATOR, NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

[*] ROCKEFELLER: I'll make my morning statement, and then in order of seniority, others as they come will make their opening statements. And then we will proceed to our witnesses.

Good morning, Mr. Secretary.

At its core today's hearing is about the millions of Americans who drive to work, drive to the grocery store, or carpool their kids to school and other activities in every day in every way. It's about their safety and their security, and nothing is more important than that. We're all here today because we know that something has gone terribly wrong. The system meant to safeguard against faulty vehicles has failed, and it needs to be fixed. And it needs to be fixed right away.

This is an important hearing, once (sic) we have dedicated an entire day -- we've never done that before that I can remember -- to one subject so that we can examine the problems and get through the solutions. It is most immediately about the Toyota recalls, but more broadly, it's just as urgently about the safety oversight system and how to fix it. It's not just for some future problem, but right now.

In order to get to the bottom of the dangers of sudden acceleration, which are not addressed in the recalls, I believe the way we respond to this serious situation will and must have a lasting impact on the carmaker and its employees and the federal agency charged with overseeing safety and on the confidence of the public for years to come.

This morning's hearing will focus on the government's role, and this afternoon we will focus on the company's role in this serious situation. It is no secret that Toyota is an important company in America -- not only to my home state of West Virginia but to our national economy. The carmaker operates 10 plants across the country employing 35,000 workers and dealerships in all 50 states.

I worked very hard to bring a Toyota engine and transmission plant to Buffalo, West Virginia, because I knew Toyota was a company built on the philosophy of quality first, that if they designed and built the safest and most reliable cars possible, then sales and profits would follow.

Now, it is clear that somewhere along the way public safety took a back seat and corporate profits drove the company's decisions. If Toyota wants to remain successful and regain consumer confidence, it needs to find this balance once again. Toyota's consumers and its incredible employees, who have won all kinds of awards in our state of West Virginia, deserve nothing less than this. They drive Toyotas, too.

It is also apparent that the government's NHTSA did not fulfill its responsibility in the past and has more to do in the present, and needs greater resources and authority in the future. NHTSA's actions and inactions in the years leading up to today are deeply troubling.

The American people count on NHTSA to protect them and to provide them with clear and reliable safety information, and even today that picture is not clear. And what's more, the American people do not yet clearly understand how this happened and how it will be solved, which defects have been addressed and what dangers remain and what the recalls are fixing and what they are not fixing.

So we need to look back and focus forward.

We will hear from Toyota executives how these problems occurred and why the company did not respond more quickly. But I also want to know what Toyota's plans are to fix the ongoing problems with sudden acceleration and set itself on a new course to identify needed recalls i...

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