General Motors Co. Chief Executive Mary Barra returns to Capitol Hill this week for what may be her last and toughest hearings with U.S. lawmakers over the automaker's botched response to a faulty ignition switch that has landed GM in hot water with federal regulators and the Justice Department, the Wall Street Journal reported today. On Thursday, Barra will face Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), one of her harshest critics, and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who remains skeptical of GM's response to the issue and its internal probe that cleared the automaker's executive team and pinned the lack of response on lower-level engineers, lawyers and a dysfunctional company culture. It took the automaker nearly 11 years to issue a recall for the 2.6 million Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Ion and other older model vehicles equipped with the faulty switch. The company has dismissed 15 employees, disciplined five others, revamped some of its internal operations and recalled millions of cars for a variety of issues. Compensation expert Kenneth Feinberg, hired by GM to handle payouts to victims, will also testify and is expected to be asked for more information on how many people he estimates have been hurt or killed as a result of the faulty switch. Chicago attorney Anton Valukas, who handled GM's internal probe, has also been called to testify.
