General
Motors CEO Mary Barra testified before the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer
Protection, Product Safety and Insurance in the United States, investigating
the GM ignition switch recall.
“The
issues raised in the hearing were tough but fair. I appreciate the intense
interest by the senators to fully understand what happened and why. I am going
to accomplish exactly that, and we will keep Congress informed. Meanwhile, we will continue doing all we can
to repair our customers' vehicles and rebuild their trust in GM,” Barra said in
a statement to the media.
Earlier,
Barra said her company had retained Kenneth Feinberg as a consultant to explore
and evaluate options in its response to families of accident victims whose vehicles
are being recalled for possible ignition switch defects.
Barra
made the announcement in testimony before the Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
“Mr.
Feinberg is highly qualified, and is very experienced in the handling of
matters such as this,” said Barra. “He brings expertise and objectivity to this
effort, and will help us evaluate the situation and recommend the best path
forward.”
Feinberg
is highly regarded for his handling of compensation issues related to 9/11, the
BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Boston Marathon bombing.
“My
mandate from the company is to consider the options for dealing with issues
surrounding the ignition switch matter, and to do so in an independent,
balanced and objective manner based upon my prior experience,” Feinberg said.
In
her appearance before the Committee, Barra also detailed the company’s overall
response to what she called “an extraordinary situation.”
“Our
employees and I are determined to set a new standard,” said Barra “Our
customers and their safety are at the center of everything we do.”
Among
the measures her company had taken to address the ignition switch recall, she
said, were:
Commissioned
two and asked for a third production line from supplier Delphi for new parts,
which will begin flowing to dealers on schedule in a week’s time;
Enhanced
customer call centre staffing, to ensure minimal wait times;
Providing
loaner and rental vehicles to concerned customers who drive one of the recalled
vehicles;
Retained
former U.S. Attorney Anton Valukas to lead a comprehensive internal
investigation with free rein to go where the facts take him; and
Appointed
Jeff Boyer as new Vice President for Global Vehicle Safety whose first priority
is to quickly identify and resolve product safety and customer satisfaction
issues.
Barra
reiterated her sympathies “to everyone who has been affected by this recall”
and promised “to hold ourselves accountable” once all the facts are known.