Auto bail-out passes House vote; Republicans pledge Senate veto

After a week of intense debate and wrangling, the US House approved the $14-billion rescue plan to save the three struggling auto makers and sent the bill for its final vote to the Senate, while Republican senators pledged to veto it, calling it "a bailout to nowhere."

Voting not only against the Democrats, but going against their own outgoing president, the majority of Republican representatives voted against the bill where the final tally was 237 for and 170 against, with 32 Republicans joining the 205 Democrats in supporting the bailout.

As the fate of the automakers linger on till next week's vote at the Senate, passing the bill is still shrouded in uncertainty as there is widespread revolt among the Republicans at the White House-brokered deal, who have repeatedly objected risking tax payer's money on a bailout, which according to them, leads to 'nowhere.'

Some hardline Republicans say that many senators were swayed after the release of US data for job losses for the month of November, which was 533,000 and did want to be blamed for further huge job losses especially when the country is in recession. (See: Over half a million Americans lose jobs in November

As supporters of the Big 3, including Democrat leaders and many independent economists, warned of the impending huge job losses not to mention the hundred of allied business closing down, the heated debate dwelt on insufficient government oversight and role of the 'car czar' whom Republican Senator, Bob Corker wanted the title to be changed to 'President's Puppet.'

The bailout amount was reduced from $15 billion in previous drafts to $14 billion and the money will comes from the existing $25-billion loan fund created to help the automakers retool their factories to make more green cars.