Lawmakers On Meeting with Chrysler Executives

June 18, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold and Representatives Paul Ryan and Gwen Moore met with executives from Chrysler to urge a second look at keeping the automaker’s Kenosha facility open.

The delegation members met with Jim Press, Chrysler’s Vice Chairman and President, and John Bozzella, Chrysler’s Vice President of External Affairs. When Chrysler filed for Chapter 11 protection, it revealed its plans to close the Kenosha plant as part of its bankruptcy reorganization.

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The delegation members have been urging Chrysler to keep the Kenosha plant open and to pursue funding from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, to provide grants or low-interest loans to update the Kenosha facility and preserve its jobs; Congress appropriated $25 billion for the program last fall to help struggling U.S. automakers.

Following the meeting, the delegation members jointly released the following statement:

“We made our case on behalf of the Kenosha workers, but Chrysler gave us no reason to believe that they’re putting any effort into keeping the Kenosha plant open. We are deeply disappointed and angered that Chrysler has chosen, in effect, to shift jobs to Mexico despite the years of loyal, productive service -- and more recently the tax dollars-- the workers of Kenosha have given the company to ensure a new Chrysler continues to produce cars. We plan to call on the Administration to intervene.”

Source: Senator Russ Feingold