General Motors’ announcement Monday that it would close five plants and lay off thousands of workers in the U.S. and Canada sent shockwaves throughout North America, including in Washington, D.C., where lawmakers reacted angrily to the cuts. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) called the decision “corporate greed at its worst,” slamming the company for abandoning taxpayers who came to its rescue during the 2009 industry bailout. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said he was “deeply frustrated” by the decision and disappointed with how employees have been treated at the company’s Lordstown plant in his home state. GM has spent more than $6.1 million on Washington lobbying this year, according to POLITICO Influence, and those lobbyists will have to get to work repairing damaged relationships.
