{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://upton.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=393680", "Upton Committee Report Details Failures of Auto Safety Regulators in GM Ignition Switch Recall", "2014-09-16", "2014", "2014-09", "Republican", "House", "MI", "Fred Upton", "U000031", "upton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Upton: \u201cIt is tragic that the evidence was staring NHTSA in the face and the agency didn\u2019t identify the warnings\u2026 They failed.\u201d\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      \u200bThe House Energy and Commerce Committee today released a new report written by the majority staff outlining the findings of its investigation related to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration\u2019s (NHTSA) role in the delay of the General Motors (GM) ignition switch recall. The report identified a number of key failures and missed opportunities by the nation\u2019s automobile safety regulator in analyzing and responding to data and information provided to the agency, which contributed to NHTSA\u2019s inability to identify the safety defect.\u00a0GM has recalled millions of vehicles this year for issues that have been linked to at least 19 deaths, including two teenagers from the Southwest Michigan district of Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph. Upton\u2019s committee opened an investigation into the actions of both GM and NHTSA following the initial recall of certain Chevrolet Cobalt models due to an ignition switch defect which could cause the ignition to inadvertently move from the \u201crun\u201d mode and may prevent air bags from deploying in affected vehicles. The committee\u2019s investigation, along with GM\u2019s internal investigation conducted by Anton Valukas, revealed a series of failures by the company to identify and remedy this defect, which contributed to tragic injuries and the loss of life. But the committee\u2019s investigation also uncovered failures and critical mistakes by NHTSA, which allowed this fatal problem to fester unresolved for over a decade.\u00a0  \"It is tragic that the evidence was staring NHTSA in the face and the agency didn't identify the warnings. NHTSA exists not just to process what the company finds, but to dig deeper. They failed,\u201d said Upton. \u201cWe'll keep looking for answers, and keep working toward solutions \u2013 whether it means changing our laws or pressing for change at the companies that follow them and the agencies that enforce them \u2013 but we know for sure that NHTSA was part of the problem and is going to have to be part of the solution.\u201d  As outlined in the report, the committee\u2019s findings revealed that NHTSA had ample information to identify a potential safety defect as early as 2007, including a State Trooper report linking air bags and the ignition switch and three independent investigations commissioned by the agency involving the non-deployment of frontal airbags in the Cobalt. NHTSA failed to follow up on the information it was provided and also lacked an understanding of the advanced vehicle systems that were implemented in response to the agency\u2019s own standards.  The committee identified key problems in the agency\u2019s practices that contributed to the failure of NHTSA to identify the safety defect, including a failure to keep pace with the industry it regulates, information silos, a culture that minimizes accountability, and a tendency to get overwhelmed or distracted by specific issues.  While GM has taken some steps to fix its mistakes, it does not appear NHTSA has taken any corrective actions. The report notes \u201cfive months later, there is no evidence, at least publicly, that anything has changed at the agency. No one has been held accountable and no substantial changes have been made. NHTSA and its employees admit they made mistakes but the lack of urgency in identifying and resolving those shortcomings raises questions about the agency\u2019s commitment to learning from this recall.\u201d  The committee\u2019s report concludes, \u201cThe agency\u2019s repeated failure to identify, let alone explore, the potential defect theory related to the ignition switch \u2014 even after it was spelled out in a report the agency commissioned \u2014 is inexcusable. This was compounded by NHTSA staff\u2019s lack of knowledge and awareness regarding the evolution of vehicle safety systems they regulate. Regulators should not be held to a different standard. NHTSA\u2019s conduct needs to reflect its mission and serve as a model to those it regulates.\u00a0 The agency, therefore, must be willing to hold itself accountable and learn from past mistakes.\u201d  To view the committee\u2019s full report, click HERE.\u00a0  To view a list of supporting documents, click HERE.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://upton.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=393680"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.476138062775135, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}