TheleadersofDetroit'sstrugglingBigThreeautomakersareappearingbeforetheSenatetoday,whereprospectsof~25billioninemergencyloanstotheindustryappeartobestalling. AmidGOPcriesof"corporatewelfare",SenateMajorityLeaderReidintroducedabillyester-daytolettheautomakersandcomponentsupplierstapintosomeofthemoneyCongressallottedinthe￥700billionfinancialbailout. Reid,launchingalame-ducksession,warnedofa"potentialmeltdown"intheindustrywithdevastatingconsequences.Hesaid355,000peopleareemployedbytheindustryand4.5millionmoreworkinrelatedindustries.Anadditional1millionpeople,retireesandtheirrelatives,arecoveredbyretirementandmedicalplantswithintheindustry,hesaid. TheBigThree-GeneralMotors,Ford,andChrysler-havebeenwhipsawedbythefalteringeconomyandcreditcrunch. ButtheoddsdonotlookgoodforDetroit.AttheheartofthedebateiswhetherautomakersaredeservingasalinchpinoftheU.S.economyornot,inthewordsofonehigh-profilecritic,RepublicanSen.RichardShelbyofAlabama,isaninnovation-averse"dinosaur". Shelby,appearingonSundaytomeetthePress,said"Getridofthemanagement.Getridoftheboards-thepeoplewhobroughtthemtowheretheyaretoday.Thisisadeadend.It'saroadtonowhere,andit'sabigburdenontheAmericantaxpayer," Republicansattackedthemeasureonseveralfronts.Somequestionedtherushtojudgment,otherswarnedthatotherindustrieswouldsoonlineupforhelp.Andsomechargedthatthefirmsbroughtontheirtroublesbyagreeingtounioncontractswithwagesandbenefitscostinganaverageof￥73anhour,comparedwith￥28anhourfortheaverageprivatefirm. GOPSen.ArlenSpecterofPennsylvaniasaidthe￥T00billionrescuewastheNo.Iissuedwhenhetouredthestaterecently."Candidily,thetemperatureofmyconstituentswasboiling,212degreesFahrenheit,andthethermometerwasbroken,"hesaid. SomeopponentspreferthattheautomakerspursueChapter11reorganizationsinsteadofhittingupUncleSam. Democratsarguethatthe~25billionisonly4percentofthebiggerbailout.Reid'sspokesman,JimManley,saidthebillhasrobustlanguageoncorporateoversight,taxpayerprotections,andexecutivecompensationlimits. AcompromisecouldbestruckifDemocratsbowedtoGOPpressureand,insteadofnewloans,rewrotetherulesfor~25billioninloansgrantedtoautomakerstohelpthemretoolfactoriestobuildfuel-efficientvehicles."It'smindboggling",oneRepublicansaidofDemocrats'intransigence."IfIwerethem,I'dwanttogetthisoffmyplatebeforeObamabecomespresident." Theautomotiveexecutives,AlanMulatly,Ford'spresidentandCEO,RobertNardelli,Chrysler'schairmanandCEO,andRickWagoner,GM'schairmanandCEO,aretoappearbeforetheSenateBankingCommittee.ShelbyisthetopRepublicanonthepanel. Thepost-electionlame-ducksessionisthelastchancetosignoffonthemeasureduringthisCongress.ThebillprobablycanpasstheHouse,butprospectsareiffyintheSenate,whereDemocratsneed60votestoblockanexpectedfilibuster. Ifnothingpasses,itcouldbetakenupinJanuarybythenextCongress,whichwillhaveabroaderDemocraticmajority. HarryReidproposedabillfortheautomakersbecause().
A.GOP called for "corporate welfare" B.the leaders of the Big Three came to Senate to stall the loans C.the breakdown of American auto industry will affect millions of people' s life D.￥700 billion emergency loans is to be tapped into正确答案A
