Lawmakers on the first congressional panel to conduct a hearing on the Toyota recalls, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, have Toyota connections in their districts—or their garages. Other members have different car connections.
Here’s a look at some of the ties:
—Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak, D-Mich.: Stupak’s northern Michigan district doesn’t have auto plants, but his state is home to automakers Ford and General Motors. Toyota also has operations in Michigan.
—Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich.: Toyota has a technical center in Ann Arbor, which is part of his district. Dingell is a longtime advocate for the Detroit area’s automakers and union autoworkers; he has called a government bailout program for Detroit automakers “the rescue plan for Main Street.”
—Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass.: Markey drives a Camry hybrid.
—Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.: Toyota has an office in DeGette’s district; DeGette owns three Toyotas.
—Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Ohio: Sutton represents the Akron area, where Ford has an assembly plant. Sutton was a proponent of the recent “Cash for Clunkers” program that helped motorists buy new cars, SUVs and pickups.
—Subcommittee member and committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif.: Waxman doesn’t have a Toyota plant in his district, which takes in Hollywood and Beverly Hills; Toyota’s North American home office isn’t far away, however. It is in Torrance, Calif., in the Los Angeles-area district of fellow committee member, Democratic Rep. Jane Harman, who has had personal financial connections to Toyota and one of its audio and entertainment system suppliers. Harman is recusing herself from the investigation and won’t vote on any legislation that results from it.
—Several other subcommittee members, including Markey; Democrat Gene Green and Republicans Michael Burgess and Joe Barton of Texas; Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.; and Rep. George Radanovich, R-Calif., do not have Toyota offices or plants in their districts but do have them in their states; Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., doesn’t have a Lexus office in his district, but there is one in Georgia. Lexus’ other office locations include Naperville, Ill., near Schakowsky’s suburban Chicago district.
— General Motors and a parts manufacturer for Toyota each have a factory in Barton’s district.
— Green’s campaign received $1,500 last year from the political action committee of Gulf States Toyota Inc., an independent distributor of Toyota vehicles and parts that operates in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
— Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., received a $500 campaign donation from a Toyota dealer in Oregon last year.
