Boehner splits with Voinovich on auto bailout

U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-West Chester) attacked the idea of a bailout for U.S. automakers a day after U.S. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Cleveland) lent rhetorical support to the idea.

In a statement released Thursday, Boehner said spending money to help automakers without promises to “reform the root causes crippling automakers’ competitiveness around the world is neither fair to taxpayers nor sound fiscal policy.”

The bailout idea is especially unpopular with House Republicans, whose support Boehner is seeking to retain his position as caucus leader after the GOP lost dozens of seats on Election Day.

However, Democrats in the U.S. Senate plan to take up an auto bailout Monday. Voinovich is co-writing a letter with Michigan’s Democratic senators to ask their colleagues to support making automakers eligible for some of the original bailout money.

In his statement Boehner asked why Congressional Democrats haven’t fast-tracked $25 billion in assistance to automakers approved earlier this year and asked why they haven’t mandated that the companies show a “credible plan to strengthen their financial health” or given assurances to taxpayers that the bailout money will be returned.