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Akio Toyoda Accepts to Go Before Congress

Following several days of uncertainty and more or less official statements, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform sent an official invitation to Japanese manufacturer's Toyota CEO and asked him to attend the Congressional hearing on February 24.

In an official response posted by the CEO on Toyota's website, Toyoda accepts the invitation, putting to rest all the voices which said Toyoda will make a big mistake not to come to Washington.

“I have received Congressman Towns’ invitation to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on February 24 and I accept.  I look forward to speaking directly with Congress and the American people,”
Toyoda says.

This statement is perhaps one of the few things Toyoda handled properly since the recall nightmare began for Toyota, analysts say. The crisis, which made the Japanese government to the unthinkable and accuse Toyota of "flip-flopping," was only about to the worse if Toyoda declined the invitation.

Earlier this week, Toyoda unofficially said he will not attend the hearing but will send the North American president, Yoshimi Inaba instead.

"We are pleased Mr. Toyoda accepted the invitation to testify before the committee," Rep. Edolphus Towns, chairman of the committee and Republican Darrel Issa said in a joint statement cited by the Washington Post. "We believe his testimony will be helpful in understanding the actions Toyota is taking to ensure the safety of American drivers."
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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