But after hemorrhaging customers for decades and losing market share to foreign competitors, the companies need to scale back all their operations to become leaner and profitable.
Reinventing GM is "quite painful" for the company, customers and for dealers who often "are the face of GM," Henderson said.
But Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., suggested both companies were leaving loyal customers and dealers high and dry.
"I don't believe that companies should be allowed to take taxpayer funds for a bailout and then leave local dealers and their customers to fend for themselves with no real notice and no real help," Rockefeller said in prepared remarks. "That is just plain wrong."
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