Political spat marks start of second day of Toyota hearings

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

A second House panel gets its shot at the president of Toyota on Wednesday in what promises to be a contentious hearing on the auto giant’s safety problems.

Akio Toyoda, grandson of the founder of Toyota, will testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, where he is expected to apologize for defects that have led to the recall of 10 million vehicles worldwide.

[Updated at 9:42 a.m.: A copy of the advance text is available here]

“We pursued growth over the speed at which we were able to develop our people and our organization,” Toyoda’s prepared testimony says. “I regret that this has resulted in the safety issues described in the recalls we face today, and I am deeply sorry for any accidents that Toyota drivers have experienced.”

Toyoda is the most prominent of a parade of Toyota officials who have apologized. But lawmakers have indicated that the apologies are not enough.

In a hearing before another House panel on Tuesday and in Wednesday’s session, lawmakers are pressing for answers on when Toyota knew there were problems with the acceleration in some models and with brakes in others. They also want to explore the relationship between Toyota and U.S. regulators.

New National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief David Strickland will not testify, much to the ire of the GOP members on the committee.

“It’s very obvious that there is an effort to circle the wagons and control who will speak to Congress and when. If this committee fails to receive satisfactory answers today, we will not hesitate to convene a second hearing next week so we get the answers the American people are demanding,” said Kurt Bardella, spokesperson for the Republicans on the committee.

But Transportation Department spokeswoman Jill Zuckman said she did not know why the committee had listed Strickland as a witness. Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, only asked Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to testify, she said.

But the committee took a different tack.

“Mr. Strickland is not testifying per the request of Mr. LaHood,” said committee spokeswoman Jenny Thalheimer Rosenberg. LaHood told the committee he wanted to answer all the questions because Strickland has only been heading NHTSA for six weeks. Strickland will attend the hearing and “if there is a question with regard to NHTSA that Mr. LaHood cannot answer, Mr. Strickland will have an opportunity to answer the question,” she said.

The kerfuffle only adds to the tough tone expected for Wednesday’s confrontations.

Toyoda likely isn’t used to the type of questioning of which American lawmakers and press are capable. Toyoda at first declined to appear before the panel but acquiesced last week when he was officially invited.
He is familiar with the United States, having received an MBA in 1982 from Babson College in Massachusetts. He also spent time in California as vice president of a joint venture between Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors Corp.

-- Jim Puzzanghera, reporting from Washington
-- Michael Muskal, reporting from Los Angeles