Southfield (WWJ) -- Senate Democrats will take up a bill to extend $25 billion in emergency loans to the auto industry on Monday.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he plans a test vote on it two days later.
Supporters of a bailout scrambled Friday for Republican votes needed to break an expected filibuster by opponents.
Supporters expect to need between a dozen and 15 GOP votes to attach the measure to a $6 billion bill the House passed in October that would extend jobless benefits. So far, however, they have only one firm commitment, from Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, a state with several auto plants and manufacturers of auto supplies.
There is mounting opposition to the bailout. Click here for a related article.
A new poll from Rasmussen Reports shows 46 percent of Americans are opposed to the Big Three bailout, while 30 percent support such a plan and 25 percent are undecided. Overall, 73 percent of Americans fear the United States will run out of money if more companies are bailed out, according to the poll.
To push support for the bailout, General Motors has set up a website, called GM Facts and Fiction, outlining the automaker's thoughts. Click here to go to the website.
GM is telling people to call U.S. Senators and Representatives and voice support for the U.S. auto industry. General Motors says one out of every 10 people in America is employed in a service that is related to the U.S. auto industry.
General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, along with the United Auto Workers union, have clamored for the aid for weeks.
But strategists in both parties say it's pressure from the thousands of dealerships across the country - in every state and congressional district - that is most likely to sway lawmakers in both parties. Auto dealers have hefty political clout that could bring crucial support for the package.
Republicans and President George W. Bush are reluctant to send new money to the carmakers, saying they should instead speed distribution of a $25 billion loan package Congress approved in September to help automakers develop fuel-efficient vehicles.
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