Senate Republicans hold against auto bill

Senate Republicans held strong in opposition to a $14 billion bailout for U.S. automakers Thursday after Sen. Mitch McConnell spoke out against the bill.

The nation’s senators did not vote on the bill after Sen. McConnell, R-Ky., questioned where the federal government should draw the line, The New York Times reported.

A lot of struggling Americans are wondering where their bailout is, he said.

Majority leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., challenged the Republicans to put an alternative bill up for a vote, suggesting the Senate could vote on their bill and the bill approved by the House, perhaps Friday.

But time may be running out for a bill this year. If there is no agreement that can be reached … we have danced this tune long enough, Reid said.

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., was drafting an alternate plan that would force union workers to take pay cuts to match pay at foreign companies with U.S. factories and ban the jobs bank that allows laid-off workers to collect pay checks, The Washington Post reported.

But Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, said many Republican senators had their minds made up early. Whatever came out of the negotiations, they probably wouldn’t support, he said.