General Motors (GM) Chairman and CEO Mary T. Barra is escorted to a meeting on Capitol Hill with Ohio’s Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown to discuss GM’s recent announcement to close four U.S. plants and lay off some 15,000 employees, Washington, U.S., December 5, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Theiler
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N) Chief Executive Mary Barra arrived on Capitol Hill on Wednesday for two days of meetings with lawmakers who are angry over the Detroit automaker’s decision to close five North American assembly plants and cut nearly 15,000 jobs.
Barra was meeting with Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer at the Capitol, before holding meetings with members of Congress from Ohio and Maryland late on Wednesday. She was also set to meet with lawmakers from Michigan on Thursday among other meetings. Barra did not comment as she walked into the meeting.
GM has come under harsh criticism from lawmakers from both major political parties and from President Donald Trump since Nov. 26 when the No. 1 U.S. automaker announced the biggest restructuring since its bankruptcy a decade ago.
Trump told GM last week the company “better” find a new vehicle to build at the plant in Ohio, which could be crucial to his re-election chances in 2020.
Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis