WASHINGTON – The Obama administration said Wednesday that the government will lose about $14 billion in taxpayer funds from the bailout of the U.S. auto industry.
In a report from the president's National Economic Council, officials said that figure is down from the 60 percent the Treasury Department originally estimated the government would lose following its $80 billion bailout of Chrysler and General Motors in 2009.
The report's release coincides with the administration's efforts to tout the bailout's role in the revitalization of the U.S. auto industry after last week's announcement that Chrysler is repaying $5.9 billion in U.S. loans and a $1.7 billion loan from the Canadian government. Those payments cover most of the federal bailout money that saved the company after it nearly ran out of cash in and went through a government-led bankruptcy.
GM previously announced that it had repaid a little more than half of the $50 billion it received in federal aid.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said U.S. auto companies are now at the forefront of a comeback in American manufacturing.
"We cannot guarantee their success, and at some point they may stumble. But we've given them a better shot," Geithner wrote in an opinion piece in Wednesday's edition of The Washington Post.
"While we will not get back all of our investments in the industry, we will recover much more than most predicted, and far sooner," he wrote.
Obama will visit a Chrysler plant in Ohio Friday to tout highlight the company's success.
GM and Chrysler were on the verge of collapse in the final days of the Bush administration after Congress failed to approve an emergency loan package. The Bush administration gave the companies $17.4 billion in loans and required them to develop a restructuring plan by mid-February 2009.
Obama's administration pumped billions more into the carmakers later that spring but won concessions from industry stakeholders, allowing it to push GM and Chrysler through bankruptcy court in the summer of 2009.
In a report from the president's National Economic Council, officials said that figure is down from the 60 percent the Treasury Department originally estimated the government would lose following its $80 billion bailout of Chrysler and General Motors in 2009.
The report's release coincides with the administration's efforts to tout the bailout's role in the revitalization of the U.S. auto industry after last week's announcement that Chrysler is repaying $5.9 billion in U.S. loans and a $1.7 billion loan from the Canadian government. Those payments cover most of the federal bailout money that saved the company after it nearly ran out of cash in and went through a government-led bankruptcy.
GM previously announced that it had repaid a little more than half of the $50 billion it received in federal aid.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said U.S. auto companies are now at the forefront of a comeback in American manufacturing.
"We cannot guarantee their success, and at some point they may stumble. But we've given them a better shot," Geithner wrote in an opinion piece in Wednesday's edition of The Washington Post.
"While we will not get back all of our investments in the industry, we will recover much more than most predicted, and far sooner," he wrote.
Obama will visit a Chrysler plant in Ohio Friday to tout highlight the company's success.
GM and Chrysler were on the verge of collapse in the final days of the Bush administration after Congress failed to approve an emergency loan package. The Bush administration gave the companies $17.4 billion in loans and required them to develop a restructuring plan by mid-February 2009.
Obama's administration pumped billions more into the carmakers later that spring but won concessions from industry stakeholders, allowing it to push GM and Chrysler through bankruptcy court in the summer of 2009.
1,136 Comments
- 381 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 27 users disliked this commentGPfisher Report Abuse
"Govt to lose just 20 percent"
Replies (19)
The Gov't isn't losing squat. The American taxpayer is the one that is losing. - 221 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 14 users disliked this commentMark A Report Abuse
Just 16 Billion Dollars? That cavellier attiude is what has gotten us into this mess.
Replies (10) - 227 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 15 users disliked this commentGary Report Abuse
Why not collect all the money, the big three are making record profits. What gives?
Replies (19) - 308 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 22 users disliked this commentcatogrif Report Abuse
Ford Motor Company didn't accept a bailout and turned out just fine.......................
Replies (25) - 227 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 17 users disliked this commentMichael Report Abuse
I guess that means I can deduct 20% from my income taxes owed.
Replies (3) - 227 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 20 users disliked this commentmichael Report Abuse
hellfire, let me borrow a million, will pay back 800,000 tomorrow......and you call that a bargain.......you bunch of ignorant retarts, ain't no wonder we are broke........
Replies (8) - 182 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 20 users disliked this commentBill Report Abuse
Wow, only $16 billion! What a great deal! Maybe Obama would like to invest a few billion with me, and I'll only keep 5% and we can REALLY get excited!
Replies (5) - 89 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 10 users disliked this commentLorraine Report Abuse
$14 billon won't be paid back...WHY??? Obama bailed out companies who's workers were so greedy that they caused the auto companies to nearly go under, then we the tax payer get to save their sorry butts, but now they don't have to repay us. With leadership like this, America is going down the toilet fast.
Replies (5) - 200 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 30 users disliked this commentYahoo user Report Abuse
I clearly remember Obumbles stating that we would make a profit on the money we threw down the automobile car company rat hole. Surely he doesn't lie.
Replies (5) - 81 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 13 users disliked this commentjoie Report Abuse
AP = is now the new MSNBC
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