House Committee Chairman Asks Toyota President to Testify

Toyota Motor (TM) President Akio Toyoda may have thought he put the issue of testifying before Congress to bed Wednesday when he said that he'd prefer to remain in Japan to focus on leading a panel to improve vehicle quality. But U.S. Rep. Edolphus Towns, the powerful New York Democrat who heads the House Committee on Oversight and Government Affairs, believes Toyoda can shed some light on his company's safety problems, and has invited him to appear at a hearing to "help clarify the situation."

UPDATE: Toyoda will testify before Congress next week on the company's recall of more than 8 million vehicles worldwide, the Detroit News reported Thursday. "I look forward to speaking directly with Congress and the American people," Toyoda said in a statement released Thursday evening, Eastern Standard Time.