Bush waiting for Congress on auto question

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- The White House is waiting to learn what the U.S. Congress does on a possible bailout for automakers, a spokeswoman said Friday.

Industry experts say they fear at least one of the three Detroit automakers will fail if a bailout isn't passed when Congress returns to Washington next week for its lame-duck session.

"Well, right now we're waiting to know what the leadership in Congress wants," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said during a news briefing. "We're trying to talk to them about what they might or might not put forward."

Some congressional Democrats said they may seek a $25 billion package for the automakers, but admit its chances of passage are bleak because they lack the votes.

The $25 billion package would be in addition to the already passed $25 billion in low-interest loans to help automakers retool their facilities to make more fuel-efficient cars. U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and President George Bush expressed reluctance to use funds from the $700 Wall Street bailout, saying the package was passed to help financial institutions.

"We think the $25 billion that they've already authorized and appropriated and that we've designed through the regulations would be something that they might consider accelerating to those companies," Perino said. "But they would have to pass legislation to do that. So we're waiting on them to do that."