WASHINGTON, USA — CONGRESS is demanding answers from the new CEO of General Motors and the head of America’s auto safety watchdog about why it took at least a decade to recall cars with a defective part that is now linked to 13 deaths.

Diana DeGette, a Democrat, held up an ignition switch for one of the cars and said a small spring inside of it failed to provide enough force, causing the car engines to turn off when they went over a bump. DeGette showed how easy it was for a light set of keys to move the ignition out of the “run” position. That can cause the engine to stall, and the driver loses power steering and power brakes.

DeGette said documents provided by GM show that what GM termed an “unacceptable cost increase” was only 57 cents. She asked that document be put into record.

“We know that GM made a series of terrible decisions, and we know that this tragedy has exposed significant gaps in federal law that allowed them to do so,” DeGette said.

GM CEO Mary Barra sat silently at a table in front of the committee. David Friedman, the current head of the the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, was also testifying before the committee.

GM has recalled 2.6 million cars for the faulty switch. The company says new switches should be available starting April 7. Concerned owners can ask dealers for a loaner car while waiting for the replacement part.

Committee Chairman Fred Upton said GM and government regulators got complaints about the ignition switches 10 years ago, and GM submitted reports to the agency. Upton questioned why it took so long to recall the cars.

Some current GM car owners and relatives of those who died in crashes are also in Washington seeking answers to that question. The group is attending the hearing and earlier held a press conference where they demanded action against GM and stiffer legislation to prevent serious auto vehicle problems.

The hearings — before a House subcommittee yesterday and a Senate subcommittee today — will likely be tense and emotional. At least a dozen family members of victims will attend, wearing blue shirts featuring a photo of 16-year-old Amber Marie Rose, who was killed in a 2005 Cobalt crash, and the words “Protect Our Children.” Barra will surely apologise, as she has before, for the loss of life.

Barra may try to limit her answers, citing an ongoing internal review and government investigations. For his part, David Friedman, the acting head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, may try to shift blame from his agency to GM, saying the company withheld information. Either approach could annoy committee members, who will want to know why the system failed and ensure consumers that they’re adequately protected no matter what car they drive.

In particular, Congress wants to know if it needs to strengthen a 2000 law intended to improve communication between automakers and the Government. Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee and announced the first hearing, wrote the law. Upton’s district, 185 miles west of Detroit, is far from any GM plants, but he has received $5,000 in campaign donations from the automaker in this election cycle, according to figures compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.