Committee Subpoena Could Loom for Toyota CEO

A subpoena from Congress could be next for Toyota's top executive after he declined a committee appearance Wednesday.

The office of the top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), said that Issa and committee Chairman Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) would take further steps to get testimony from Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda on his company's recent safety recalls.

"Obviously, Mr. Toyoda is not as eager too give Congress and the American people answers as we first thought," Issa spokesman Kurt Bardella said in a statement. "It's telling that the only way he'll come before the Oversight committee is by formal invitation."

Toyoda said Wednesday that he planned to travel to the U.S. next week, but said that Toyota North America President Yoshimi Inaba would be the best-suited person to testify before the Oversight committee.

Toyoda has sought to wage a PR offensive after millions of his company's vehicles were recalled for a faulty accelerator problems. Over 100,000 of the company's fuel-efficient Prius line were also recalled for braking problems.

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