Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dan Lungren (R-Gold River) today discussed the possible bailout of the automotive industry and the upcoming Republican leadership election on MSNBC.   

On the automotive industry: "Private American workers are making American automobiles that Americans are buying. They just don't happen to be in large numbers from those in Detroit. There are plants all over the country making the cars Americans want.

"Laws already exist to address this problem. The bankruptcy laws in the United States, some of which I helped write over the years, provide for exactly this type of situation. Reorganization is in the offing and industries attempt to reorganize so that the company can have the best chance of survival in the new environment. If you take capital away from those areas of our economy that have been listening to what the consumers are saying, have attempted to keep up with the market, have retooled over time, you're going to create a disincentive for that in the future and take the investment that would go there and place it to those who have not been innovative and responsive. That is a prescription for disaster and will leave us with more jobs lost in the long run and frankly, will make us less competitive."

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On congressional leadership: "If we are going to have policies of accountability and responsibility, we ought to hold ourselves accountable and responsible. I got a commitment from John Boehner to have a full-scale debate for an hour and 15 minutes.   I would have preferred three hours but an hour and 15 minutes is better than nothing. I was afraid we were not going to do that. I was worried we were going to a coronation rather than a contest. Most times, when you have a coronation, that does not excite those within the party and it does not cause them to think deeply about where they are and where they need to go to lead the American people."