After hearing testimony from American automotive executives on Thursday, December 4, lawmakers voiced a range of reactions to a potential bailout of the floundering industry.

In an article for the New York Times, David M. Herszenhorn described their responses as expressions of built-up anger, worries over the potential burden to taxpayers, frustration after decades of fighting with carmakers for fuel-efficiency standards, and "bailout fatigue."

Taken as a whole, the resulting picture is one of pessimism that the necessary votes exist to give carmakers what they want: $12 billion in loans to General Motors and a $6 billion line of credit; a $9 billion credit line for Ford; and an immediate loan of $7 billion to Chrysler.

With most pundits predicting the automakers would only be back asking for more, perhaps as early as next fall, the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and other members of the Democratic leadership have appealed to President George W. Bush to rescue the auto industry if Congress fails to vote a bailout.

Mark Zandi, an economist with Moody's Economy.com testified that the effects of one or more of the companies failing would be disastrous for the nation. Bankruptcy at this point in time would be cataclysmic for the economy, he said. So I think you need to help them now.

General Motors has indicated that without federal help, it could run out of operating capital in the next two weeks.